Where to See the Big Five in Tanzania

Where to See the Big Five in Tanzania, an East African country, offers you abundant wildlife that attracts thousands of visitors each year. A safari to Tanzania provides an experience like no other, as you get to see wild animals in their natural habitat. You have higher chances of seeing the Big Five in Tanzania during the dry season from June to September and December to February. Note that this is the peak season, and it tends to get extremely busy, and prices also go up during this period.

The rainy season and low season, from March to May, also offer you a good time to see the Big Five, especially the carnivores, as they hunt down unsuspecting calves during the calving season. You can see the Big Five in Tanzania in several prime locations, including Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park, Ruaha National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Nyerere National Park.

Serengeti National Park

Serengeti National Park sits at the heart of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit and stands as the country’s most visited destination. It is home to the Big Five and hosts the world-famous Great Wildebeest Migration every year.

Each year, millions of wildebeest, thousands of zebras, and countless gazelles travel over 1,000 kilometres across open grasslands, rocky terrain, forests, and crocodile-filled rivers into Kenya’s Masai Mara before returning to the Serengeti. Along the way, predators, including lions, leopards, hyenas, and crocodiles, follow closely behind.

Serengeti also holds the largest lion population on the African continent. Elephants roam freely, particularly in the northern section of the park.

Beyond the migration, Anthill Safaris offers hot air balloon rides and outstanding birdwatching experiences. For the best Big Five sightings, plan your visit between June and July, August and September, or December and February.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire National Park is one of Tanzania’s most visited National Parks and hosts the Big Four in Tanzania, excluding rhinos. The unique ecosystem within the national park makes it one of the best homes for a wide range of wildlife species. The stunning baobab trees, acacia trees, and the Tarangire River allow you to easily spot the animals, especially during the dry season.

You can easily see the Tarangire lions along the Tarangire River during both the dry and rainy seasons. Leopards are fair in number, and you have a 50/50 chance of seeing them. You will find large herds of buffalo in Tarangire National Park, and you can see these in different parts of the national park. Elephants are abundant in Tarangire National Park, and the park is famously known for its large elephant herds. You will not find rhinos in Tarangire.

While on your safari to Tarangire, you will be able to see lions, buffalo, and elephants on your game drive; however, you may or might not be able to see leopards depending on your luck.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Ngorongoro Crater sits within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and forms part of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit. It is one of Africa’s finest wildlife destinations and shelters all of the Big Five throughout the year.

Over 75 lions roam the crater floor, belonging to well-known prides including Mungedge, Munge, and Lakes. Leopards are best spotted in the northern highland forests, which cover nearly 20% of the conservation area. More than 300 elephants live here, many carrying enormous tusks that nearly touch the ground after decades on the crater floor.

Ngorongoro also shelters black rhinos, one of the world’s most endangered species, commonly found near the crater’s swamp areas alongside buffalo and other large animals.

Additionally, the Ndutu Area within Ngorongoro marks the starting point of the Great Wildebeest Migration. The calving season runs from November to April, drawing predators and extraordinary wildlife action throughout that period.

Nyerere National Park

Formerly known as Selous Game Reserve, Nyerere National Park forms part of Tanzania’s Southern Safari Circuit and ranks among the largest wildlife areas in the world. Its vast size creates a wild, untamed atmosphere, though it also means wildlife sightings can be more spread out.

All Big Five species live within the park. Lions roam freely and appear regularly throughout the year. Buffalo are equally common and easy to spot during game drives. Elephants are present but appear occasionally, as poaching has significantly reduced their population over the years.

Rhinos are rare and mostly confined to the southern section of the park. Leopards also live here, although sightings are uncommon since they are naturally shy and skilled at staying hidden.

Anthill Safaris recommends visiting during the dry season for the best Big Five sightings. The park welcomes visitors throughout the year, making it a flexible addition to any Tanzania safari itinerary.

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park hosts four of the Big Five animal species: lions, leopards, buffalo, and elephants. While on your safari to Lake Manyara National Park, you will be able to see buffalo and elephants. You will always find the lions in the trees, and it is unlikely that you will be able to spot leopards because of their shy nature.

Lake Manyara National Park is home to the tree-climbing lions, which you can spot almost all year round. People believe the lions climb trees to better spot and hunt their prey, and to avoid the heat from the ground and tsetse fly bites. The national park hosts large herds of elephants, as authorities established it to protect the elephants in the area. You will find a large population of leopards in Manyara; however, they are rarely seen during a game drive through Lake Manyara National Park because they are shy. You will commonly sight buffalo in Lake Manyara National Park. There are no rhinos in Lake Manyara National Park.

On your safari to Lake Manyara National Park, you will be able to see elephants, buffalo, and climbing lions, but you will rarely see leopards.

Ruaha National Park

Ruaha National Park is part of the Tanzania southern circuit and one of the least visited national parks in Tanzania. It hosts four of the Big Five animal species, and you will be able to see lions, elephants, leopards, and buffalo. The park does not host rhinos.

Lions are a common sight in Ruaha National Park, with large prides. You have a 70% chance of seeing leopards in Ruaha National Park while on your safari along the riverbanks. Ruaha hosts a sizeable buffalo population, and you can easily spot these during a game drive. Ruaha National Park hosts a good elephant population, and people consider it one of the best safari destinations for spotting elephants. Rhinos are absent in Ruaha National Park. Poachers, both local and international, hunted rhinos to extinction in Ruaha National Park, and this is why you cannot see them in Ruaha on a game drive.

People often describe Ruaha National Park as Tanzania’s best-kept secret, with unspoiled wildlife covering over 20,000 square kilometres. During a game drive in Ruaha, you can see lions, buffalo, leopards, and elephants.

What are the roles of the big five animals in the ecosystem?

The big five animals play a great role in the ecosystem, and these include;

They help in regulating the population of other wildlife in the ecosystem. This is done by lions and leopards, who hunt down weak wildlife for food.

Lions and leopards help the scavengers in getting food after they eat and leave out the rest.

The elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos help in the seed dispersal and are considered to be the engineers in the ecosystem.

What is the best time to see the Big Five animals in Tanzania?

The big five animals can be seen throughout the year. However, the best time to see the big five animals is during the dry season, from June to September, and from December to February. During this time, the parks are dry and clear to view the wildlife since the vegetation in the park is short, and they can easily be seen during a safari.