Top 5 Kenya Safari Animals and Where to Find Them
Travelling to Kenya is a dream for animal enthusiasts. Being a treasure spot for a lot of safari animals, knowing where to see your favorite animals in the wild can help you plan your safari trip accordingly. To help you out, here you have our top 5 Kenya safari animals (and group of animals) along with a list of national parks where you can see them.
Kenya Safari Animals
1. Big Five
The big five is one of the main reason to visit Kenya and Africa. These include lions, leopards, African elephants, Cape buffalos, and rhinos. Kenya is one of the best places wherein you can spot all of them together. To see the Big five, head to Masai Mara – the most popular game reserve in Kenya. You can also visit Lake Nakuru where the highest number of leopards sightings have been recorded in recent times. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is one of the biggest black rhino sanctuaries wherein you can spot both white and black rhinos.
2. Wildebeest
You may have heard about the great migration between the Serengeti plains in Tanzania to Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Around 1.5 million wildebeests take part in this annual migration with other animals while falling prey to dangerous predators on their journey. Wildebeests are a part of the antelope family and have two main species – the black wildebeest and the blue wildebeest. They often travel in large herds and are constantly seen grazing in open woodlands and grassy plains. You can also find them in the Amboseli National Park.
3. Nile Crocodile
One of the largest African reptiles, Nile crocodiles can grow up to 6 meters in length. Kenya has a huge population of these cold-blooded predators that can be found in freshwater marshes, mangrove swamps and rivers. Even though they thrive on a steady diet of fish, they can eat anything and everything that crosses their path from zebras to small hippopotamus and even other crocodiles! To see them, you can visit the Mara River in the Masai Mara National Reserve, and Shaba National Reserve and Nairobi National Park.
4. Hyena
Kenya is home to two species of hyenas; spotted hyenas also known as laughing hyenas – a name acquired from the sounds they make – and striped hyenas that can be identified by their strip coat and small stature. Being nocturnal animals, hyenas roam around in the dark and scavenge for their food, which rarely gives them any kills. One of the nearly threatened species of Africa, you can still find them in the northern and eastern parts of Africa. In Kenya, you can see both these species in the Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park.
5. Cheetah
One of the fastest animals on earth, cheetahs have a lighting speed of 100 km/h. Their nostrils and hearts are designed in a way that can supply them oxygen and increase their stamina. With their amazing agility and specially shaped tail, cheetahs can change their direction easily and instantly.
They prefer living in areas with good visibility and no big predators. You can find them in the Masai Mara National Reserve.
With a vast diversity and rich heritage, Kenya is the ideal place for your dream safari trip. Listed above are only a few animals that can be found in the country. To get a full list of animals in Kenya, check out this infographic.