The Big 5 Animals in Kenya and Where to See Them

Kenya is blessed with large concentrations of wildlife including the Big-Five animals. The African lion, African leopard, African elephant, white or black rhino, and Cape buffalo are the priority for most tourists visiting Kenya’s national parks and game reserves. Why are they called the Big 5?

The Big 5 is a group of animals that were previously classified as difficult to hunt on foot due to their power to fight back. Many countries in Africa including Kenya have banned hunting to reduce poaching. Big-Five is now used to refer to safari animals that tourists yearn to see.

Since the Big 5 animals are hazardous to get close by, keep a safe distance. You will still have a clear view if you have good high-powered binoculars (available on Amazon). I love this item in particular due to its compact size, clarity, and versatility.

Having a good camera will help you get sharp and stunning photos of the Big 5. If you can afford Canon EOS R5 (available on Amazon) you will love how this camera detects wildlife from great distances through brush and busy backgrounds.

What are the Big 5 animals in Kenya?

The Big 5 game animals are found in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Samburu National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Tsavo East National Park, Tsavo West National Park, and Ol Pejeta Conservancy among others.

African lion

The African lion commonly referred to as the ‘King of the Jungle’ is the fiercest and largest predator in Africa. Lions are majestic beasts that rule the savannah plains. They have a strong compact body frame with powerful forelegs, jaws, and teeth. This puts them at their best for hunting any prey.

A male lion has a mane around their neck flowing to the shoulders. The color of this long heavy hair can range from blonde to reddish brown. Older and mature male lions have a more prominent mane than young ones. Females and a few breeds of male lions in Kenya lack mane.

Lions live in pride consisting of related females, their cubs, and one or two males. Female lions are excellent at teamwork. They do most of the hunting but males get the first preference in eating. Unlike other cat species lions roar to mark their territories and scare away intruders.

Facts about lions

• Lions are more active at night but they can sleep for up to 20 hours a day.
• A lion with a thicker, darker mane is considered a strong and formidable fighter.
• Lion cubs are born blind and with no teeth.
• The average lifespan of a lion is 10 to 15 years in the wild.
• Lions hardly visit drinking holes because they obtain most of their water from their prey.
• The gestation period of a lion is around 110 days.  

African elephant

The African bush elephant is the largest land animal on earth with an average body mass of 5.2–6.9 tonnes. These gigantic creatures move between a variety of habitats in sub-Saharan Africa including woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and forested mountain slopes. 

Elephants have large ears that flap to reduce body heat. Their iconic trunks aren’t just for picking up feed and fetching water to their mouth, they are strong enough to uproot a small tree or topple a small car. What appear to be horns are elongated incisors called tusks.

Elephants are herbivores, they eat grasses, leaves, shrubs, fruits, and tree barks depending on the season and their habitat. An adult elephant consumes about 150 kg (331 pounds) of food and 180 –230 liters (50–60 US gal) of water per day. 

Facts about elephants 

• Elephants live in social groups led by the oldest and wisest females.
• Like humans, elephants also mourn the deceased members of their herd.
• African elephants have excellent memories and they can recognize individuals they haven’t seen for decades.
• In addition to rumbles, and trumpets, elephants can communicate with each other over vast areas using infrasonic sounds.
• A strong sense of smell helps elephants detect water from kilometers away.
• The average lifespan of an elephant is 50 to 70 years in the wild.
• Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal, lasting 22 months.

African leopard

Leopards are strong big cats related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa and it’s common to see them on a safari in Kenya. Black leopards, also called black panthers, are rare but not unheard of in Kenya’s Laikipia region. 

African leopards spend most of their time in trees and they even haul their kills into the branches. Key identification features include yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in a beautiful rosette pattern that fades towards the white underbelly, and a long tail curled at the white tip.

The spotted coat of a leopard makes it a master of camouflage. The nocturnal predator also stalks prey by stealthy movements in the tall grass. They can also swim and eat fish or crabs. In Kenya, there is a persistent human-leopard conflict due to their frequent attacks on livestock.

Facts about leopards

• Leopards are solitary creatures, except for mothers raising their cubs.
• They are patient predators that rely on stealth and surprise attacks.
• Among the big cats, leopards are the strongest climbers due to their powerful muscles and flexible bodies.
• Although not the fastest, leopards can run at over 58 km/h and leap over 6 m (20 ft) horizontally.
• Male leopards tend to keep about 1 km apart overlapping with a few females.
• Leopards have an average lifespan of 12–17 years in the wild.
• The gestation period for leopards is approximately 3 months.

Black or white rhino

Rhinoceros are critically endangered due to poaching and illegal trafficking of their horn. Kenya is home to a few that remain, particularly the black and white rhinos. The only two remaining northern white rhinos live under 24-hour armed guard at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Despite being called “black” and “white”, all the rhinos in Africa are gray. White rhinos were named so because of their wide, square mouths. Black rhinos, which have a narrower, pointed upper lip, were so-named to differentiate them from their “white” counterparts.

Facts about rhinos

• Rhinos are the second largest land mammals after the elephant
• Both black and white rhinoceroses are herbivores, they eat grasses, leaves, and fruits.
• Rhino horns are solely made of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and nails.
• Despite their massive size, rhinos are surprisingly fast runners reaching speeds of up to 56 kilometers per hour.
• Female rhinos weigh 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) and males 2,400 kg (5,300 lb).
• The average lifespan of a rhino in the wild is 40-50 years.
• Rhino pregnancies last 15 – 18 months.

Cape buffalo

The cape buffalo is a large bovine found in different habitats across sub-Saharan Africa. Adults weigh anywhere from 425 to 900 kg, with bulls being significantly heavier than cows. Their large size and powerful horns make them a formidable force to any predators including lions.

Cape buffalo are highly social animals and live in large herds. On a Kenya Safari, you can see their number in the hundreds, especially during the wet season. These herds offer protection from predators. There is a social hierarchy in herds, with older females holding the most dominance.

Interesting facts

• Cape buffalo are excellent swimmers and will readily take to water to escape predators or reach new feeding grounds.
• Buffalo eyesight isn’t the greatest, but they have a strong sense of smell which helps them detect danger or find food.
• Cape buffalo are considered dangerous animals for being unpredictable and aggressive.
• They give birth to calves after a nine-month gestation.
• The average lifespan of a cape buffalo in the wild is 11 to 20 years.

Final thought

Kenya is a year-round tourist destination. The Big 5 are among the captivating interests but it takes patience to spot all of them. Sighting is majorly through game drives on open-roof land cruisers under the watch of an experienced guide.

True to the hunter’s observation, the Big Five animals are formidable to any opponent. Always show respect and exercise caution when visiting them in their natural habitats.