A comprehensive guide to spotting the Big Five in Tanzania. Learn the best parks for lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and the elusive rhino, plus tips for maximizing your chances of seeing them all.
The Big Five: Africa's Most Iconic Wildlife
The "Big Five"—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros—earned their name not from size but from the difficulty and danger of hunting them on foot. Today, they remain the most sought-after safari sightings.
As a guide, I understand the desire to see all five. But I also want to prepare you realistically: while Tanzania offers excellent Big Five opportunities, seeing all five (especially leopard and rhino) requires luck, patience, and good timing.
Lion: The King
Difficulty to see in Tanzania: Easy
Best parks: Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater
The Serengeti has one of Africa's largest lion populations—approximately 3,000 individuals. In my experience, you'll see lions on virtually every multi-day Serengeti safari.
Best viewing tips:
- Early morning and late afternoon when lions are most active
- Scan kopjes (rocky outcrops)—lions love resting on rocks
- Follow vultures circling—often indicates a kill
- The Seronera region of central Serengeti is particularly lion-dense
What you'll see:
- Prides resting in shade (most common)
- Hunting behavior (mainly early morning or evening)
- Cubs playing (if you're fortunate to find a pride with young)
- Male coalitions marking territory
Ngorongoro Crater offers guaranteed lion viewing—the enclosed population is easily found on the crater floor.
Leopard: The Elusive Beauty
Difficulty to see in Tanzania: Challenging
Best parks: Serengeti (especially Seronera), Ngorongoro, Tarangire
Leopards are solitary, nocturnal, and masters of camouflage. Even in leopard-rich areas, sightings require luck.
Best viewing tips:
- Search sausage trees (Kigelia africana)—leopards rest in their branches
- Early morning increases chances before they hide for the day
- The Seronera valley in the Serengeti is famous for leopard sightings
- Watch for alarm calls from baboons and vervet monkeys
- Stay patient at sightings—leopards often reveal themselves slowly
Reality check: I've had guests who saw four leopards in three days, and others who spent a week without a single sighting. Count any leopard sighting as a gift.
Best chances: The Serengeti's Seronera region and the riverine areas of the Grumeti have reliable leopard populations.
Elephant: The Gentle Giant
Difficulty to see in Tanzania: Easy
Best parks: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara
Tanzania's elephant populations have recovered significantly and are found in most northern circuit parks.
Best viewing tips:
- Tarangire National Park has some of Africa's largest herds—hundreds of elephants during dry season
- Watch for dust clouds indicating movement
- Observe from distance when herds have young calves
- Rivers and swamps attract elephants, especially midday
Behavioral highlights to watch:
- Trunk communication and greeting rituals
- Dust bathing for skin protection
- Swimming and playing in water
- Matriarchal herd dynamics
Tarangire (June-October) offers the most dramatic elephant viewing, with super-herds of 300+ individuals.
Buffalo: The Formidable
Difficulty to see in Tanzania: Easy
Best parks: Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Lake Manyara
Cape buffalo are abundant throughout Tanzania's parks. They're often overlooked while guests search for "more exciting" species—unfairly, as buffalo are fascinating animals.
Best viewing tips:
- Ngorongoro Crater has reliable buffalo herds
- Look for them near water sources
- Early morning and evening grazing activity
- Watch for oxpeckers (tick birds) riding on their backs
Worth knowing: Buffalo are considered by many guides to be the most dangerous of the Big Five. Old bulls expelled from herds ("dagga boys") are notoriously unpredictable. Respect their space.
Rhino: The Endangered
Difficulty to see in Tanzania: Challenging
Best parks: Ngorongoro Crater (best), Serengeti (rare)
Black rhinos are critically endangered. Tanzania's population is small and heavily protected.
Best viewing tips:
- Ngorongoro Crater has approximately 30 black rhinos—the best chance in Tanzania
- Bring binoculars—sightings are often distant
- Early morning offers better chances
- Ask your guide about recent sighting locations
- Be patient—rhinos are not guaranteed even in Ngorongoro
Reality check: Ngorongoro Crater is the only reliable place for rhino sightings in Tanzania's northern circuit. Even there, they may be visible only as distant gray specks. Exceptional close encounters happen but shouldn't be expected.
The Serengeti has a tiny rhino population in the Moru Kopjes area, but sightings are rare.
Best Itinerary for Big Five
For the best chances of seeing all five, I recommend:
Day 1-2: Tarangire National Park
- Target: Elephants (excellent), lions (good), buffalo (good)
- Bonus: Tree-climbing lions, baobab scenery
Day 3: Ngorongoro Crater
- Target: Rhino (best chance), lions (excellent), buffalo (excellent), elephants (good)
- Bonus: Flamingos, hippos, hyenas
Day 4-6: Serengeti National Park (Seronera/Central)
- Target: Leopard (best chance), lions (excellent), elephants (good), buffalo (good)
- Bonus: Cheetahs, migration herds (seasonal)
This itinerary provides multiple opportunities for each species, maximizing your Big Five chances.
Beyond the Big Five
While chasing the Big Five, don't miss Tanzania's other extraordinary wildlife:
Cheetah: The Serengeti has an excellent cheetah population
Wild dogs: Rare but present in Serengeti and Selous/Nyerere
Hippo: Abundant at pools in all parks
Giraffe: Common and always photogenic
Zebra/Wildebeest: Massive herds during migration
Some of my most memorable safari moments involve species entirely outside the Big Five—a honey badger raiding a camp, a secretary bird killing a snake, a pangolin crossing the road at twilight.
Final Thoughts
The Big Five represent extraordinary wildlife, and seeing all five is a worthy goal. But I encourage you to see safari as more than a checklist.
The bush offers endless wonders beyond these five species. Some of my happiest guests are those who spend an hour watching elephant family dynamics rather than rushing to the next "big" sighting.
Whether you see three of the Big Five or all five, you'll witness something remarkable. Tanzania's wildlife exists in densities and behaviors found almost nowhere else on Earth.
Come with open eyes, patience, and appreciation for all creatures great and small. The Big Five will take care of themselves.