Travel Glossary · Safari & Africa
Big Five
Definition
Big Five: The Big Five are lion, leopard, elephant, African buffalo, and rhinoceros, a term coined by hunters for the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot, now a safari checklist.
Today the Big Five is a wildlife-viewing goal, not a hunting list. Seeing all five on one trip is very possible in the right places, with rhinos usually the hardest because poaching has made them rare and they survive in fewer areas.
South Africa’s Sabi Sand and the greater Kruger area are known for close leopard sightings and give a strong chance at all five. Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater is one of the better places in East Africa to see black rhino alongside the others. Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Botswana’s Okavango Delta are superb for lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, with rhinos harder to find.
Don’t let the checklist define the trip. Cheetah, wild dog, hippo, and giraffe are just as memorable, and a great guide matters more than any list. Our first safari guide helps you choose where to go.
Go deeper
- AfricaKruger & Sabi Sand Safari GuidePlan a Kruger and Sabi Sand safari: private reserves vs the national park, leopard viewing, the best months, malaria advice and flights from Johannesburg.
- Travel GuidesYour First Safari: How to Plan an African SafariPlanning your first African safari: where to go, how long to stay, lodges vs tented camps, what a safari day looks like, packing, health and tipping.
- CompareSouth Africa vs. Botswana: Which Safari Is Right for You?South Africa vs Botswana for safari: Kruger vs the Okavango Delta, crowds, cost, malaria, families, and logistics compared, plus how to combine the two.
- AfricaTanzania Safari Guide: Serengeti, Ngorongoro & BeyondPlan a Tanzania safari: Serengeti migration and calving season, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, the southern parks and Zanzibar, with timing and flight tips.
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