The big 5 of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda
What are The big 5? There has been a common question about the big five animals, what are they and why they are called big 5. We will explore Queen Elizabeth national park together as we learn more about them. In the general sense, big five are Buffalo, rhino, elephant, leopard and lion. However, in Queen Elizabeth national park, the big five are different since there are no rhinos in this park. It should be noted that rhinos are not present in Queen Elizabeth national park but the rest of them are available there.
Why are they called big5?
Big5 animals are the animals that are considered the hardest to hunt. This term was defined by the big game hunters to refer to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt while on foot. These are: Bufalo, lion, elephant, leopard and rhino. Therefore, the big five name does not necessarily derive from their size though they are all big in size. Considering how hard and dangerous they are, killing any of them was a reason to call it big and earn respect and trophy.
What is special about the big five?
Each of these wild games has something that make it unique and earn the name to the big 5 league.
Lion:
Known to spend most of the day time relaxing and sleeping, they are known to hunt at night. And they freely loam in the jungle as king of the jungle. They target the neck and shoulders and thus good at suffocating the Prey before they eat it. An African Safari is never complete without sight this king of the jungle. And can also be sighted in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Leopard:
This is a rare cat to sight due to the fact that he is good at camouflaging and a solitary animal. They can adapt in any environment ranging from forests, savanna grassland to deserts. Leopard is a nocturnal cat and is an excellent climber and can even descend a tree facing down. Queen Elizabeth national park is one of the spots where leopard can be sighted.
Elephant:
Known as the largest mammal on earth, they live in herds with a matriarch as family head. They are known to have good memories and more intelligent wild game than any other. Elephants are herbivores though they can charge on rare occasions when they feel threatened. Elephants are also sighted in Queen Elizabeth national park even in large numbers.
Buffalo:
African buffaloes are known to have caused a lot of death in Africa since it is the wild version of a cow. It is the only animal on the big5 list that is not regarded as endangered or threatened, Queen Elizabeth national park has plenty of African buffaloes and can be sighted during game drive or boat cruise on Kazinga channel.
Rhino:
There are black and white rhinoceros and Uganda is a home to white rhinoceros which are in Ziwa rhino sanctuary. There is no any other place in Uganda where you can sight the rhinos accept in Ziwa rhino sanctuary.
Where are the big five found?
There are only 14 countries in the world wher the big5 animals can be found or sighted. These countries are all in Africa and they include: Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Eswatini, Botswana, Angola Rwanda, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Countries like South Africa, the big five have been taken so seriously that they arpear on their money where each note pears one of them.
Big5 Conservation efforts
Game hunting in Africa was common and never a concern since there were plenty of them in the wild. However, of recent years, conservation efforts have been put in place to protect and conserve the wild life. Wildlife drastically reduced in the past years but since 1990s, there has been an increase again in different African countries due to conservation efforts.
Having a dream for a big5 safari is worth it and Uganda is one of the best destinations you can consider for this amazing safari. Our tour consultants can help you to have the best option for your best experience.