The big five are not basically called the big five because of the size but because they are the most difficult to hunt on foot and are basically the most dangerous animals. Along with being the most dangerous animals they are the most poached animals, they are;
- The African Elephant
- Rhinoceros
- Lion
- Leopard
- Cape Buffaloes
Rhinos
The rhinoceros is commonly known as rhino is a large, herbivorous mammal and it is identified by its one of a kind horned snouts and the northern white rhinoceros is one of the two surviving species in Africa. There is only one rhino species surviving in Uganda and that is the White rhino (Ceratotherium simum) the other rhino in Africa is known as the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) which are found in Kenya and Tanzania. The two species are neither black nor white as their names suggest but the difference is on the shape of the lip shape. They are both grey in colour. The black rhino has a pointed upper lip while the white rhino relatively has a square shaped lip. The difference in lip shapes is the main reason for the difference in the diets
Formerly both the black rhino and white rhino were situated in Uganda but were poached out to local extinction in 1983. Currently there are over 24 in Uganda under protection in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary created by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) just outside Murchison Falls National Park. They can also be found at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) Zoo in Entebbe. The rhinos are mainly hunted for their horns which are sold as trophies and other purposes. They are social animals and are the second largest animals on ground. They are willowers and will always find a water hole and role in its mad. They have a sharp hearing and keen smell
Lions
It is known as the king of the jungle wild wide and it is one of the most difficult animals to hunt from ground and has killed many poachers and tourists. It is found in the three largest savannah parks in Uganda which are; Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP), Kidepo Valley National Park (KVNP), Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).
In Queen Elizabeth the Ishasha lions are known for their unique behavior of climbing trees
In Uganda lions are mainly found in the three largest savannah parks: Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP), Kidepo Valley National Park (KVNP) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).
Of the about 400 lions in Uganda, 130 are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park – the most visited park in Uganda
African Elephant
There are around 5,000 elephants in Uganda today. They are mostly found in the landscapes of Kidepo, Murchison-Semliki, and the Greater Virunga Landscape.
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) African Elephant is the world’s largest of all Uganda’s new BIG five animals Elephants have a very low reproductive rate of 1 calf per female in every 8.6 years they are affectionate, intelligent and sociable animals. There are two genetically different African subspecies i.e. the savanna elephant and forest elephant all found in Uganda. While on a wildlife safari in Uganda, the Savanna Elephant can be encountered and viewed in Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth national park.
Leopard
They are a staple of Uganda’s larger carnivore species. They can be often found around the Mweya peninsula in the northern Queen Elizabeth Park.
They can also be seen in the Ishasha area, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison falls National Park, Kidepo National park and Kigezi game reserves. The weird thing about leopards is that they are scared of humans.
Cape Buffaloes
The Cape buffalo’s curved horns make a perfect meaning of an already imposing animal, which can reach seven feet from tip to tail. Horns can help distinguish age and sex, they can be sighted on a game drive in only places that have water or mad as they love wallowing in mud these areas with buffalos in Uganda include;
1. Queen Elizabeth National Park
2. Kidepo Valley National Park
3. Murchison Falls National Park
