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Hernandez Faith Kuria

Harnandez is a young Kenyan female, Travel enthusiast and a writer.

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• Big 5 wildlife of Kenya :Moonguider.com - February 20, 2023

Do you know that Kenya has 50 national park and a variety of up to 256 animals? Yes, it is true, Kenya is the best place when you want to add more wildness to your honeymoon. Hang with us, from this article, You are going to explore amazing wildlife of Kenya.

Wildlife of Kenya

Kenya has 256 animals, they include mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. If you’re evaluating on the best place to be for your Safari and beach honeymoon, then Kenya is the place to be. Most of the famously known animals in Kenya (Big 5) include,

• Lions.
• Buffaloes.
• Elephants.
• Rhinos
• Leopards

There are several places in Kenya you can visit in order to explore these and so many others that make up a good number of the wildlife of Kenya. They include;

• The Maasai Mara National Park
• Lake Nakuru National Park
• Amboseli National Park
• Tsavo National Park

Allow me to help you explore the amazing wildlife of Kenya.

1. LIONS

Lions are well known to be Kings of the jungle. Male lions are mostly bigger than female lions mainly because of the mane.

A group of lions is known as a pride. In one pride, there consist of around 15-20 members of which 5 of those are males and the rest are females and babies.

What is their average weight?

As you’d expect, Male lions are heavier than female lions. Male lions weigh around 190 Kg while females weigh around 126 Kg.

What do they feed on?

Lions are carnivores and are very cautious while hunting. They mainly feed on antelopes, zebras and other grassland animals. Because of their color (Brown), they are able to hide from other animals while hunting which makes it easy.

Other than attracting females, male lions have an advantage while hunting because of their mane which protects them from head injuries.

When do they come out?

Mostly, lions come out at dawn and dusk when the sun has cooled off. Especially males, this is because their mane heats up making them less active. They normally rest during the day and spend time with their families.

Gestation period

The gestation period for lions is from 110-112 days where they usually give birth to 2-5 cubs.

Fun Fact. Did you know that hunting in lions is mainly done by the females? This is because male lions can’t run for long due to their mane(s) heating up.

Maasai Mara National Park offers a good view of lions in their most natural habitats.

   2.Buffaloes

A group of buffaloes is called a herd. A male buffalo is called a bull while a female is called a cow. Despite having poor sight, they have an incredible sense of smell. Buffaloes make a good percentage of the wildlife of Kenya.

Weight.

Buffaloes weigh about 1900 pounds.

What do they feed on?

Buffaloes are herbivores. The mainly feed on plants, grass and herbs. Also, they tend to do well around water bodies since their bodies need a good percentage of water.

Best time to see Buffaloes.

In Kenya, the best time to see buffaloes is around late July, August and September.

This is because during this time, a huge population of wildebeests, buffaloes, zebras and gazelles move to Kenya (Maasai Mara National Park) from Tanzania (Serengeti National park) until October.

Gestation period.

The gestation period of buffaloes is about 281-334 days. Cows begin breeding at the age of two and can only have one baby at a time.

Buffalo camps in Kenya

Elsa Kopje (Meru National Park), Maasai Mara National park and Tortilis camp( Amboseli Hills)

Fact. Due to their massive size and dangerous set of horns, it makes it hard to domesticate/tame buffaloes.

In Kenya, places like Lake Nakuru National Park, the buffalo area Is fenced to reduce human attack and poaching.

3. Rhinos

Rhinos have terrible eyesight. In this case, they rely on their sense of smell.

In Kenya, there are two types of Rhinos,

• White rhino
• Black rhino

White rhinos feed on grass while black rhinos feed on trees and bushes.

Weight.

Rhinos are among the heaviest animals that make up the. The smallest rhino weigh 600kg while the big adults weigh about 3,500 Kg.

Gestation

Just like buffaloes, male rhinos are called bulls while the females are called cows.

The gestation period for a white rhino is 16-18 months while that of a black rhino is 15-16 months. A cow can only give birth to one baby per pregnancy.

Best time to see Rhinos.

Black rhinos are most active at night. Feeding on trees, bushes and shrubs, they are helped by their strong sense of smell.

Best places to see Rhinos in Kenya

• Ol Pejeta conservancy
• Lake Nakuru
• Lewa Wildlife conservancy

Fun Fact: Did you know that white rhinos are not white in color? The word white was a misinterpretation of Dutch name wijd, which was used to refer to their upper lip for being wide.

4. Elephants

Elephants are the largest land mammals in Kenya and on earth. They have unique trunks that they use to pick objects or suck water up for drinking and bathing.

Elephants are exceptionally intelligent creatures. They have a brain three times that of a human.

What they feed on.

Elephants feed on grass, plants, tree barks and twigs. Tree barks are their favorite feed because it has roughage which helps in digestion.

Gestation period

Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal. The gestation period of an elephant is 2 years. Calves are born blind but are able to stand instantly after birth.

Best time to see Elephants

The best time to sight elephants in the dry season around June to November. This is when they cross in search of fresh grazing.

Elephant destinations in Kenya

• Tsavo East National Park
• Nairobi National Park
• Samburu trails

Fun Fact: Elephants have the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror. So, when you plan to explore the amazing wildlife of Kenya, carry along a mirror.

5. Leopards

Leopard is a member of the cat family with others like tigers and jaguars. They are very solitary and spend most of their time free. They are also very fast and can run up to 58km/hr.

What they feed on.

In the wilderness, leopards are known to be optimistic hunters. They are carnivores and feed on fish, antelopes, baboons, hares and also warthogs.

Size

Like every other animal out there, leopards vary in size. Male leopards weigh about 80 to 165 pounds while females weigh 50 to 135 pounds.

Gestation period

The gestation period for leopards is 90 to 105 days. They normally give birth to 2 to 4 cubs per pregnancy.

Fact: Leopard is the smallest of the large cat family.

Places for sighting Leopards in Kenya

• Laikipia Wilderness
• Basecamp Leopard Hill (Maasai Mara conservancy)

Key Take aways

These are just 5 big animals in Kenya but Kenya is home to many more wild animals wildlife animals. Hope you have enjoy the details of our article and To find out more details of tour guidance in South Africa. Please subscribe to our page and find more destinations from our page.

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