The Big Five Tours Uganda Animals
Big five is commonly used in the tourism industry not just in Uganda but all over the world by tour operators. The “Big Five” was a term that was first used by the big game hunters and later picked up by tour operators as a way of marketing these animals and making them attractive to tourists. They particularly named five of these animals big Five because of their ferociousness when cornered; these are the Lions, Leopard, Elephants, Buffalo’s, and finally the Rhinos. Buffaloes in Murchison fallsUganda is one of the few countries in Africa where you can find all the big fives; they are found in almost all the national parks in the country. In Murchison Falls National Park is where you will find four of the big fives. This is because Rhinos became extinct in the country so they were habituated and protected after being brought in from South Africa. They are found at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. And one can see all the big Five when one visits Murchison falls with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary included in their itinerary
The Big five Elephants ( Loxodonto Africana )
These are one of the most peaceful animals only if left alone and basically not cornered. Mother Elephants are very attentive and protective animals of their little ones. Elephants are known vegetarians. They feed on grass, fruits, leaves, twigs, and bark and seed pods. An adult consumes up to 375 lbs of vegetation and 30-50 gallons of water on a daily basis. Most of the elephants are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls National Park and an estimate of about 500 of them are found in Kibale forest National Park. The kinds that are found in Kibale Forest are called Forest elephants because of their hairy bodies due to tropical climate all year round.
The big five Lions ( Panthera Leo )
Lions are extremely good at climbing trees, which is where they rest up to avoid Buffalo’s if they are not haunting them and are usually found in a group. Here they are found in Kidepo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park Spotted in Lake Mburo National Park and finally in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Lions found in Queen Elizabeth National Park are commonly called the tree climbing Lions and they are found in the Ishasha sector of the park.
The big five Buffalo’s ( Syncerus Caffer )
Since the males fight to take dominance in a herds, the males that have lost the fight from another herd. That is why you will find a herd that has a males, females and calves while, in a different herd you might find only males. Buffalos drink a lot of water, which is why you will often see them along water banks or wallowing in mad during a hot day just to cool their bodies. Buffalos are very protective of their calves, they will mob a predator targeting the calf when the calf calls for help. The Swahili word for Buffalo is Mbogo
The big five Rhinos
Compared to the black Rhinos, the White Rhinos are more social and live in groups. Only second to Elephants, Rhinos are one of the largest mammals in the world where an adult and fully grown Rhino can weigh up to 6000 lbs. Rhinos are known for being short-sighted and also very short-tempered. However, in case you do not tamper with it, it is peaceful. Man is the only natural predator of Rhinos and that is why they became extinct in Uganda. They were hunted down all the time for their horns. For that reason they are known as endangered species and are protected by Ziwa Rhino sanctuary.
The big five Leopards ( Panthera Pardus )
You may not ever find more than one Leopard together because they are very solitary and shy. Unlike other cats, Leopards have the ability to live in a wider range of habitat. They climb trees, they can also swim very well compared to lions. An adult male weighs up to 200 lbs and can jump up to 10 feet straight up. Leopards prefer thick bush and riverine, however, when they have a kill, they prefer to store it up in the trees to prevent lions or hyenas from coming near it.