Africas big 5
Uganda gives you the chance to see all of Africa’s Big 5. These are elephant, leopard, lion, rhino and buffalo. The expression the Big 5 comes from the times when trophy hunting was common and refers to that these five animals were the most dangerous to hunt. So therefore the most prestigious. In our times these impressive animals are conserved rather than hunted and seeing them is a goal of many safari travellers.
Seeing the Big 5 in Uganda
Dona and our Czech visitors journeyed through Uganda for a 9 days Uganda safari. Along the way they experienced Uganda’s beautiful nature and friendly people. As well as ticked off Africa’s Big 5 which are found among Uganda’s amazing wildlife.
To see the big 5 in Uganda you need to visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhinos as well as some of the savanna National Parks for elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard. The Big 5 can be ticked off during a safari as short as three days in Uganda if you are short on time. You then target a safari to Murchison Falls National Park with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. But to increase your chances of good sightings of all the big 5 it is good to include some more savanna National Park in your itinerary. The other savanna National Parks in Uganda are Kidepo Valley National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
Lets take a look at the Big 5 sightings Dona and our Czech visitors had:
Rhino
The first of these amazing animals to be ticked off was the rhino. As they were heading northwards towards Murchison Falls National Park they made a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Uganda’s rhinos were hunted to extinction but thanks to the conservation project going on at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary they are once again present in the Pearl of Africa. The sanctuary works to increase its numbers of rhinos and targets to reintroduce rhinos in the wild of Uganda’s National Parks.
Our visitors went for a walk with a specialized guide to see these fascinating animals. And yes it is safe to trek the rhinos on foot since their sight is so bad.
Leopard
During their safari Dona and his team had the chance to see leopard in two National Parks. They first visited Murchison Falls National Park where they had a nice sighting of a leopard in a tree. Continuing on they saw a second leopard in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Elephant
Dona’s team sighted the elephant for the first time in Murchison Falls National Park. This big 5 member is actually the worlds largest land living mammal.
Buffalo
The safari passed through Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park where buffaloes where sighted. Seeing a heard of buffaloes grazing is an impressive sight. Or to see the joy they get from enjoying to cool of in mud or water.
Lion
Our Czech visitors had their top lion sightings in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here they first enjoyed seeing lions just on the road as they did their game-drive in the main part of the park. When they then continued south to the Ishasha sector of the park they sighted the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha. In this part of Queen Elizabeth National Park the lions have the habit of regularly climbing the trees. Which offers visitors the peculiar sight of a big cat lazily resting on the branch of a fig tree.
Thank you to our Czech visitors who shared these beautiful images with us!
Itineraries to see big 5 in Uganda
As mentioned above you can see the Big 5 during a 3 days Murchsion Falls safari with a stop at Ziwa rhino sanctuary. With that said the fact is that many tourists coming to Uganda wish to trek the Mountain Gorillas as well and to combine that with seeing the Big 5 in Uganda you need some more days. You can take a look on these popular itineraries for inspiration: 10 days Uganda safari or 12 days Uganda safari.
Come for a tailor-made Uganda safari with us.
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