Big 5 tours in Uganda
Big 5 tours in Uganda:Big 5 refers to the most feared and dangerous animals in Africa to hunt on foot. The term big five is commonly used in the tourism industry as these animals are favorites among tourists visiting the different national parks and other destinations. The big 5 include the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and the rhino.
Different national parks around Africa act as habitat for these big five species of wildlife. Some of the national parks only have some of the animals considered as big five while in other national parks all the big five can be seen as they roam around the park.
The big 5 have different unique features about how they react among other wildlife species when threatened hence making them be considered dangerous and fierce.
Some of the national parks where sightings of some of the big five are common to include Murchison national park, Chobe national park, Masai mara national park, Serengeti national park, Ngorongoro crater area, Etosha national park, Hwange national park among others.
Wildlife experiences are among the greatest tourist attractions to different national parks around Africa in southern parts of Africa and in East Africa. Some of these national parks have a high concentration of wildlife which includes the big five while other national parks may have a lesser number of wildlife species.
For a satisfying big 5 experience, tourists are recommended to consult different tour operators to make for them a favorable package which will make it easier to see the big five. During the big 5 tours, a guide comes in handy as these guides know the behaviors of these animals and the spots where they can easily be spotted during a trip in the national park.
Depending on the preferences and the itinerary of the tourists, game drives are organized at different times of day to provide the tourists with a satisfying big 5 experience. Times for game drives include morning game drives, evening game drives, and full-day game drives.
Morning game drives make it easier to see the big 5 as many wildlife species are very active at this time of day. Evening game drives offer lesser chances of spotting the big 5 as the wildlife species seek shelter at this time of day and are usually in hiding. Full day game drives to increase the chances of seeing the wildlife species at different hours of the day as they go on with their usual way of life. The full-day game drives also make it easy to study the behavior of the big five and other wildlife species due to the long-time spent looking for the wildlife species.
The big five include the buffalo, the lion, leopard, rhino and the elephant. The characteristics of each of the big 5 include the following;
Lion: The lion is commonly referred to as the king of the jungle and is known for its fierce and loud roar. Lions live in groups known as prides. Male lions are characterized by having manes while most of the female lions are without manes. It’s mostly the female lions that go out to hunt in groups with other females as they work together to trap the prey. When the male cubs get older, they go out to start their own prides.
The role of the male lions, in turn, is to defend their pride from any form of danger by roaring, marking their territory with urine as a way to scare away intruders. Sometimes the lions steal from the hyenas since after a hunt the lions struggle to get a share of the conquered prey despite the combined efforts during hunting.
Hunting alone is also among the features of the lions who can be seen usually observing their prey waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Lions hunt better at night because they can easily strike and capture the prey due to the fast speed with which they capture their prey.
Lions can also follow vultures in the day time for a free meal and the lions which are expected to be nocturnal are sometimes active during the day especially when there is a water point nearby making it easier to catch unknowing prey as they drink form the water point.
Lions are known for their strength and courage in the wild.
Leopard: Leopards have a close relation to other big cats such as lions, tigers and jaguars. Leopards have a unique alignment of fur which is attractive and is often used for making fashion coats.
These cats are known for their strength and the fact that they love playing in the trees and more than often they drag their prey up the tree and they have their meal from the tree branches way from other animals which benefit from the prey killed by other animals and such habits can be seen among scavengers like hyenas. Many times the leopards use their spotted fur as an advantage to hide in the n the trees as the leaves act as a good camouflage making it easy for them to jump on their prey.
The uniqueness of leopards is that they are good swimmers and are also known to sometimes feed on fish and crabs.
After the birth of the leopard cubs, the female leopard looks for a safe location where she stays with their cubs in safety from other predators which may attack the young cubs. The leopard cubs take time to open their eyes after being born making it hard for them to defend themselves from the danger which makes the presence of their mother an added advantage.
These spotted African leopards have a ferocious way with which they attack their prey killing it instantly. Some of the habitats for the leopards include rainforests, savannah grasslands, and many other habitats.
Known for their solitude with exceptions for time for raising the cubs and during the mating seasons. The leopards are known for being sneaky and for hunting and killing anything which comes in their way as they are not picky about what they eat. These leopards are also said to not need a lot of water in their bodies as they survive on what they get from their prey.
Black Rhino: Rhinos are mostly browsers and they feed on bushes and trees. They are also solitary animals and can be seen grazing silently in the bushes.
Black Rhinos roll in the mud to protect themselves from bugs and other insects and are usually seen near water points. These animals also take shade under trees during the day and have a strong sense of hearing which helps them to sense danger from a distance.
These special creatures have a keen sense of smell which is also a survival adaptation for protection against potential danger. They also use the sense of smell to track other wildlife species by following the scent left behind.
The horns which the rhinos have are usually two and they are used for protection of the young in the female rhinos and among the male rhinos, the horns are used for fighting against other wildlife species which attack them. Among the rhinos, one horn is usually longer than the other and they each have a purpose which they serve for the survival of the rhinos.
On the downside, however, the rhinos are hunted for their horns which are sold expensively by the poachers and this has greatly led to the reduction in the number of rhinos which are one of the rare animals among the big 5.
Sanctuaries and other protected areas have been put in place to rehabilitate these rhinos and to increase their numbers in the national parks.
Buffalo: The cape buffalo is known for being commonly seen in national parks. The adult buffalos and the young buffalos vary in their appearance in that the younger buffalos have a brown coat while the adult buffalos have a black coat. These buffalos can be seen grazing in the savanna grasslands and are known for eating a lot of grass with their preferred habitat being the woodland, thickets, and reeds which protect them from danger. Buffalos work together to protect themselves from danger and predators. They also have a characteristic similar to that of the domestic cows. Buffalos can be seen mainly along river beds and plains in their herds.
Elephant: African elephants move in groups known as herds and are said to be among the largest earth animals. These African elephants are differentiated from the Asian elephants by the size of their ears which is larger. The elephants cool off using their big ears and they are known for their love for water which they suck with their trunks and spray on their bodies. They also cover their bodies with dust to protect themselves from insects and bugs. The elephant trunks are also used for picking up food and many other things. The other parts of the elephant such as the trunks are used for digging up food and for stripping tree barks which are present in both female and male elephants.
The elephants feed on roots, grass, and fruits and they are mostly herbivores and are known for the large consumption of food to sustain their bodies. Female elephants roam with the young elephants while the male elephants tend to move alone. Elephants can be found in the rainforests.
Other wildlife species can also be seen along with the big 5 in the different national parks for a satisfactory safari experience.
