5 safari parks where you can see the Big 5
If you are planning an African safari and are keen to see the Big 5 (African buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino), not all the parks will afford you this luxury. Sadly, the rhino has been poached to extinction in many of the parks, but there are still some parks where, with a bit of patience and luck, you can see all of the Big 5. Here are our top picks.
Located in northern Tanzania, the Serengeti embodies everything an African safari should be.
Its wildebeest (and other ungulate) migration means big cats can be seen. The rhino is not present in large numbers but there are rhinos to be found.
Masai Mara
The Serengeti becomes the Masai Mara as it crosses the Kenyan border. Although the Masai Mara is smaller than the Serengeti, the migration passes through here roughly between July and October, and the game-viewing is spectacular.
All of the Big 5 can be found here, with the rhinos being harder to spot.
Moremi Game Reserve
Located along the Okavango Delta in Botswana, this is one of the places where you can enjoy a safari in a mokoro, a dug-out canoe. Because there is no motor in this boat, you silently slip down the river and can get much closer to the resident wildlife.
The rhino was reintroduced in this area, which means all of the Big 5 can be found here. Leopards are a particular favorite spotting here (no pun intended).
Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of the most well-known of the safari parks. There’s a good reason for this.
Not only are all of the Big 5 found here, but the park is very accessible and it’s possible to do self-drives.
Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve
Another reserve located in South Africa, Hluhluwe Umfolozi is the oldest established park in Africa.
If you’re keen to see the rhino, this park has a large number of white rhino. It also has the other four of the Big 5.
Honorable mention: Etosha
Etosha doesn’t officially make the cut, as the African buffalo does not roam here.
But, it is home to the other four and rhino sightings seem to be better here than they are in the Serengeti.
As you can see, there are several safari choices in several countries for seeing the Big 5. Patience and luck play a huge part in whether or not you’ll spot them all, but if you go with an open mind, and aren’t desperate to hurry and tick all of your animal boxes, you’ll enjoy yourself a lot more and may just get to see them all.
Javier Luque is a Co-Founder and Director of Your African Safari.
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