A Guide to Spotting Iconic African Animals
Kenya is renowned for its rich and diverse wildlife, making it one of the top destinations for wildlife enthusiasts.
Spot the Big Five, Track Big Cats and witness the Great Migration.
The annual Great Migration is a dramatic, wild and totally enthralling marvel of nature, where predatory lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena gather and wait expectantly for more than two million wildebeest, gazelle and zebra to arrive in a stampede of activity, so they can prey on the more vulnerable, juvenile or lone animals. The sight and sound of the thundering hooves of the millions of migrating animals arriving from Grumeti River area in Tanzania through to the Masai Mara in Kenya is like no other on earth.
Seeing the 'big five' on safari is a must for any wildlife enthusiast. The term ‘Big Five’ came from the early game hunters and refers to a group of animals that are considered to be the most dangerous species to hunt on foot.
Named after their difficulty to hunt, the 'big five' consists of the African Elephant, African Leopard, Cape Buffalo, Black Rhino and, of course, the African Lion.
The best time to see the Big 5 is during the peak safari season from July to October. The cool, dry winter means less vegetation for wildlife to hide behind and the lack of rain means wildlife will congregate around the lakes and rivers and most wildlife wont stray too far from the little water left. Leopards spend most of their time in trees, so are easier to spot with the fewer leaves.
Your guides brief you on what to do and how to follow their lead closely. They are so well trained in wildlife behaviour, so it makes you feel at ease how they can explain what the animals are doing and why or what you need to do. Guides know well the signs that animals are relaxed and when they are not so relaxed, they will stay away. Animals sort of see the jeep as a whole, not six people sitting in a car, so it’s not something they are bothered by as it’s not something they see as predator or prey.
The true icon of Africa’s Big Five, the African lion is the symbol of strength and power, the epitome of any safari to wild Africa. Today, catching sight of this apex predator is one of the most sought-after prizes for almost every safari-goer, with regal prides located from East to South.
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The ground rumbles as you sit tentatively, cameras poised. You hear them before you see them, an almighty crunch as the lead female breaks through the foliage and onto the wide savannah plains, shortly followed by the rest of the herd. The first time you see an African elephant in the wild is a moment to behold; overwhelming in size and beauty, they move almost gracefully across the plains.
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Elusive leopards prowl the deserts and bush of Africa in search of unsuspecting ungulates such as zebra and antelope. Due to the threat of lions and hyenas stealing their prey, leopards haul their quarry high into trees to feast on their meal without interruption. Leopards have also been known to use high vantage points to seek out their prey before slinking through the long grass and making the fatal pounce.
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One of the Big Five, the Cape Buffalo are susceptible to trophy hunting and are occasionally also hunted for their meat. Buffalo’s territory is somewhat threatened by habitat fragmentation thanks to human encroachment and planned road constructions. Cape buffalo are listed as Least Concern due to the large, widespread populations still remaining across southern and eastern Africa.
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Much smaller than its cousin - the white rhino - black rhinos can be distinguished by a number of features but surprisingly colour isn’t one of them. Both black and white rhinos have thick grey hides and one or two horns. Black rhinos, however, have a distinctive prehensile lip which acts as a beak to grasp plants and sticks. They also have a large hump on their neck/back which has developed thanks to the browsing technique used when eating foliage as opposed to the grazing behaviour of white rhinos.
Read moreA rare collection of unusual animals, found exclusively in the Samburu National Reserve.
Larger than the more common plains zebra, with narrow stripes and a white belly.
Recognized by its distinct, clearly defined reddishbrown patches on a cream-colored background.
Also known as the East African oryx, the Beisa oryx is a large antelope with long, straight horns and a distinctive black stripe running down its face.
This subspecies of the ostrich has distinct blue-grey skin on its neck and legs, and it is the largest bird in the world.
A long-necked antelope with slender legs, the gerenuk is known for its ability to stand on its hind legs to reach higher branches and leaves on trees.
