Field Guide
Big Five, Great Migration, and 400+ species — where to find them, when to go, and how to experience Tanzania's wildlife at its most extraordinary.
Mammal Species
400+
Bird Species
1,100+
National Parks
17
Lions in Serengeti
~3,000
East Africa's Most Sought-After Sightings
Coined by big-game hunters, the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino — are now the icons of African conservation. In Tanzania, all five can be seen across a carefully planned safari itinerary.
The African lion is Tanzania's most iconic predator — and the Serengeti has the highest concentration in the world. With roughly 3,000 lions in the...
Habitat
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire
Best Time
Year-round — easier in dry season (June–October) when they gather near water
Safari Tip
"Book a full-day game drive in the Serengeti's central plains — this is where resident lions are most active and where the Great Migration herds concentrate."
Leopards are the most elusive of the Big Five — solitary, territorial, and almost entirely nocturnal. Tanzania's leopards live in the acacia trees...
Habitat
Serengeti (Moru Kopjes), Ruaha, Selous, Mikumi
Best Time
Year-round — leopards are most active at night
Safari Tip
"Ask your guide to visit the Moru Kopjes in late afternoon. Leopards use these rocky outcrops for daytime rest before becoming active at sunset."
Tanzania's elephant population — the largest in East Africa — roams across an enormous range from the Serengeti to Ruaha, Selous, and Tarangire. Tarangire is famous for its dense elephant herds, which can number over 300 individuals during the dry season when they cluster around the Tarangire River. Elephants are intelligent, emotional, and deeply social — watching a family herd interact is one of safari's most moving experiences.
Habitat
Tarangire, Serengeti, Ruaha, Selous, Ngorongoro
Best Time
Tarangire: June–October (dry season concentration). Serengeti: year-round.
Safari Tip
"Tarangire's elephant herds are most impressive from June through October. The park's marshlands and river create a lush corridor that attracts enormous herds — sometimes 500+ elephants in a single day."
The African buffalo is the most unpredictable of the Big Five — seemingly docile as they graze in herds of hundreds, but capable of charging without warning when threatened. Tanzania's Cape buffalo (syncerus caffer) are massive, with horns that can span over a metre. Herds in the Serengeti can exceed 1,000 individuals during the wet season, breaking into smaller groups during dry months.
Habitat
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, Ruaha
Best Time
Year-round — they are always present, easier to see when water is scarce
Safari Tip
"Ngorongoro Crater's floor hosts a permanent herd of 200+ buffalo. On a crater floor game drive, you will almost certainly see them — often close to the Lerai Forest."
The black rhino is Africa's most endangered Big Five member — there are fewer than 70 in Tanzania's Ngorongoro ecosystem and a similar number in the Serengeti. Tanzania has the largest population in Africa, but rhino sightings require patience and a skilled guide who knows their territories. Rhinos are solitary, aggressive, and browse on acacia leaves rather than grass. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon.
Habitat
Ngorongoro Crater (highest density), Serengeti (Ndhiaka sector), Solio Ranch
Best Time
June–October in Ngorongoro Crater — rhinos are easier to track when water is scarce
Safari Tip
"In Ngorongoro Crater, rhinos are most reliably seen near the Lerai Forest and around the swamps. Book an early morning game drive — rhinos are tracked before sunrise when the crater floor first opens."
The Greatest Wildlife Spectacle on Earth
1.5 million wildebeest. 300,000 zebra. 100,000 gazelle. Moving in an eternal clockwise circuit through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem in search of rain-fed grass — the largest land animal migration on the planet.
The backbone of the Great Migration. 1.5 million wildebeest move in an eternal clockwise circuit through the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, following t...
Zebras migrate alongside the wildebeest — roughly 300,000 of them. Where wildebeest follow the grass, zebras browse more selectively, eating the ta...
A graceful antelope that stays in Tanzania year-round rather than joining the full migration. Grant's gazelles are most commonly seen in the Serengeti's eastern plains and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. They are independent grazers, not following the wildebeest herds, and their populations thrive in areas where the Migration briefly passes through.
The Migration peaks July through October — the same months that offer the best Kilimanjaro climbing conditions. A 14-day or 21-day safari-kilimanjaro combo during peak Migration season delivers the full spectrum of Tanzania's natural wonders.
Plan Your Safari Around the Migration
The Migration is a continuous cycle — there is no off-season. Each month offers a different spectacle depending on where the herds are in their circuit.
January–February
Southern Serengeti & Ndutu
Calving season — 8,000 calves born daily. Lions and hyenas follow the vulnerable newborns.
March–May
Southern & Central Serengeti
Long rains. The plains turn green. Migration herds spread across the southern Ndutu and Naabi Hill areas.
June–July
Western & Central Serengeti
Herds begin moving north. The first river crossings at the Grumeti River (June) are less dramatic than the Mara River but still extraordinary.
July–October
Northern Serengeti & Maasai Mara
Mara River crossings — the spectacle. Thousands of wildebeest plunge across daily. Predator density is enormous.
November
Northern Serengeti to central
Herds begin moving south again, following the short rains. Cheetah are most visible in the eastern plains during this period.
December
Central to southern Serengeti
The short rains bring fresh grass. Herds concentrate in the central Serengeti and begin moving toward Ndutu for calving.
Tell us your travel dates and we will design an itinerary that puts you in the right place at the right time — whether you are coming for the Migration, the Big Five, or the full Tanzania experience.
WhatsApp Don — Migration SafariBeyond the Big Five
Tanzania has the world's largest population of cheetahs — roughly 1,100 individuals. The Serengeti's open plains are perfect for their hunting style: explosive speed up to 70 mph in short bursts. The eastern plains of the Serengeti and the Ndutu region are the best places to see them.
Best parks: Serengeti eastern plains, Ndutu, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Masai giraffes — taller than their reticulated cousins — are a common and enchanting sight. They browse acacia canopies that other animals cannot reach, using their 45cm tongues to strip leaves. Tarangire is especially good for giraffe sightings, with the park's signature acacia trees providing perfect habitat.
Best parks: Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Hippos spend most of the day submerged in water, emerging at night to graze on land. They are extremely dangerous — more people are killed by hippo...
Best parks: Lake Manyara, Grumeti River (Serengeti), Mara River
Nile crocodiles — grow to over 6 metres — wait in the Mara and Grumeti rivers during the Migration crossings. Watching a crocodile launch from the...
Best parks: Mara River, Grumeti River (Serengeti), Lake Victoria
The African wild dog — erroneously called the Cape hunting dog — is one of Africa's rarest predators. Tanzania hosts several packs in the Selous and Ruaha ecosystems. They are extraordinarily social, with a hunt success rate that exceeds lions and leopards.
Best parks: Selous, Ruaha, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Hyenas are more successful hunters than lions in the Serengeti — they take down 80% of their own kills rather than scavenging. The large clans in t...
Best parks: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Selous
Every safari we design is led by a professional guide who knows Tanzania's wildlife intimately. We match your dates, your interests, and your pace — and we build the itinerary around the animals you most want to see.
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