A Big 5 safari in Uganda is a superb experience for wildlife enthusiasts. Because the southern white rhino went extinct in the wild here in the 1980s, Uganda’s Big Five cannot be ticked off in a single reserve – rhinos were reintroduced at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where an on-foot rhino tracking experience completes the set. The other four are found in Uganda’s savannah parks: Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, and Kidepo Valley.

What are the Big Five African animals?

The term is an old hunting expression for the five animals considered most challenging and dangerous to hunt on foot: the African elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros, and Cape buffalo. Today the only shooting is with a camera.

1. African Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

Adaptable and widespread, buffaloes live in large savannah herds and smaller forest groups – and a wounded or solitary buffalo is reputedly Africa’s most dangerous game animal. In Uganda, see them in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls – including hybrids of the East African savannah buffalo and West African red buffalo – and roaming Kidepo’s plains in their hundreds.

2. African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

The world’s largest land mammal, with bulls averaging around 6,300 kg and the largest brain of any living land animal. Spot them in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Kidepo Valley – boat safaris on the Nile and the Kazinga Channel offer especially close sightings.

3. Leopard (Panthera pardus)

Africa’s most adaptable big cat is common yet rarely seen thanks to its secretive, solitary nature – it often stores kills in trees away from rival predators. Best chances: Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, and Kidepo, with occasional sightings at Lake Mburo, Mount Elgon, and Toro-Semliki.

4. African Lion (Panthera leo)

The most sociable of the big cats lives in loose prides of five to fifteen. In Uganda, lions rule Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, and Queen Elizabeth – the latter famous for the tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha sector.

5. Rhinoceros

Hunted nearly to extinction for their horns, Uganda’s white rhinos now breed safely at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola on the Gulu highway – conveniently en route to Murchison Falls, and tracked on foot with rangers.

Beyond the Big Five: the Big Seven

Uniquely, Uganda lets you combine the Big Five with mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. Add gorilla trekking in Bwindi and chimpanzee tracking to your wildlife safari for the ultimate Big Seven itinerary. Start planning.