The Big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater

The big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater are some of the most sought after animals in Ngorongoro Conservation Area that travellers do look out for while exploring Tanzania on Ngorongoro Crater safaris all throughout the year. The famous Ngorongoro Crater is located in the northern part of Tanzania, in the northern safari circuit of Tanzania which encompasses other prime Tanzania national parks like the world famous Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, among so many others.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest inactive caldera in the world, hosting over 25,000 animals in the scenically beautiful Ngorongoro Crater floor. Among the over almost 30000 animals in the Ngorongoro Crater floor, are the famous and most sought after African big 5 animals. They are known as the African big 5 animals because they posed to be hard to hunt down animals by game hunters back in the day, that anyone who killed them was regarded as quite skilled. The big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater include elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos, which all can be seen in the Ngorongoro Crater floor especially during the Ngorongoro Crater drives any time of the year.

Elephants

The Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania hosts a big number of elephants in the area, though they may not be as many as the huge herds of elephants in Tarangire National Park which is referred to as one of the best places to see huge herds of elephants in the wild. The Ngorongoro Crater has about 300 African savannah elephants, roaming through the area majestically with their huge tusks which is a prized commodity in the market that they get poached so much. In 2021, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature listed the African bush elephants as endangered species, due to the reduction of the population.

Elephants are herbivores, and they do play quite a huge role in the ecosystem of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and anywhere else they may be like Tarangire National Park, as they often times dig up dry water beds with their huge and long tusks, creating water holes from where all the other animals do drink from. Also, elephant dung contains seeds from fruits and shoots eaten by the elephants, that where the dung drops under good conditions do grow plants.

Lions

Lions are one of the big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater, much sought after by travellers on Tanzania safaris all throughout the year. Watching or encountering lions in the wild is one of the highlights of any Tanzania safari and Africa safari generally as most travellers do come especially to encounter them in the wild. Lions are social animals, living in prides of even more than 5 individuals with females as the head hunters while the males eat the lion’s share. One of the unique characteristics of lions is that the older male lions grow, the darker their manes, one of the most domineering things to see on lions.

The Ngorongoro Crater has about 65 lions recorded to live in the area, almost easily seen in the Ngorongoro Crater floor. Lions, referred to as “Simba” in Swahili are easily spotted on Ngorongoro crater drives in the Ngorongoro Crater floor.

Leopards

Leopards in Ngorongoro Crater are quite elusive animals, but yet can still be seen in the park. Leopards are elusive animals, and are nocturnal animals that are much easily seen in the night as they usually spend most of their days resting up on tree branches of the acacia trees. Leopards also do climb trees to enjoy their kill, away from intruders like scavengers.

Buffalos

Buffalos are part of the big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater, which travellers can see while on Tanzania safari tours in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of Tanzania any time of the day, all throughout the year. There are well over 4000 buffalos in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, easily seen in large herds grazing. When you do pass by during your game drives in Ngorongoro Crater, they shall look at you almost knowingly, almost as if they have seen you somewhere.

Black Rhinos

Rhinos re an endangered species, sought after by many travellers but it is in the Ngorongoro Crater that travellers can almost be guaranteed to spot the rhinos, in the wild. Black rhinos are one of the African big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater that travellers can see on Ngorongoro Crater safaris. It is in Ngorongoro Crater that travellers can see all the complete list of the big 5 animals.

The big 5 which travellers can see in Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania include elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos.

Apart from the big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater, there are a number of other animals in Ngorongoro Crater that travellers can see on Ngorongoro Crater safaris all throughout the year, including wildebeest, impalas, waterbucks, warthogs, gazelles, among so many other animals in Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

To see the various animals in Ngorongoro Conservation Area including the big 5 of Ngorongoro Crater, travellers can book Tanzania safaris to take them to one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania. Ngorongoro Crater Tanzania safaris can be done solely, or combined with one or more of the best Tanzania safari destination 2022-2023 and beyond. For amazing Tanzania safari packages to be amazed with the wild, get I touch with your trusted tour operator to help you curate an amazing Tanzania safari tour of your dreams.