The BIG Five: These are the animals considered the hardest to hunt on foot by big-game hunters in Africa
Lions: Defiantly the King of the Jungle. No matter how many times we saw them, they just took your breathe away
Rhinoceros: One of the hardest to find. The rhinos are becoming endangered due to poachers. This makes them harder to spot and more skiddish of vehicles
African Elephant: Typically seen in herds, these animals are hard to miss
African Buffalo: These animals aren't the most exciting of the big five. Not the most photogenic either
Leopard: These are very rare to see because they typically hide in trees during the day. Luckily we saw one hunting during the day in Maasai Mara
Our Favorites (excluding the Big Five)
Giraffe: Megan's favorite animal. You could say I like tall, goofy things
Jackel: Kyle's favorite animal. These animals look like a dog and a fox mixed together
Cheetah: The Usain Bolt of Africa
Hyenas: We could often here these animals howling and laughing during the night
Warthog: Pumba! One of the dumbest animals in the wild. We were told, by the locals, they have very short attention spans and often forget where they are.
Zebras: They chase their young training them to be stronger and more prepared to run away from predators
So Many Others:
Hippopotamus: Fiercely territorial, these animals are one of the deadliest in world
Crocodile: These cold blooded animals can slow their heart rate down to one to two beats per minute while resting
Wildebeest: Often paired up with zebras. Wildebeest have a better sense of smell while zebras have a better sense of sight. These combined skills help protect both animals from prey
Baboons: We saw 30+ baboons walking through our campsite one morning after breakfast
Impala: Only allows one male per pack. If another male approaches he will yell, then battle them until they surrender. We saw a group of 30+ female impalas with one single male.
Thompson Gazelle: We saw them battling in Ngorongoro over a female. They would bash their antlers together until the other one gives up.
Hornbill: We only saw one during our trip. We love Zazu!
Ostrich: Known for their speed, these giant birds have ripped legs
Crown Cranes: They mate for life. When one dies the other one will fly high into the sky and commit suicide
Water buck, Common Eland, Hartebeest, Okapi, etc: There were so many African Antelopes it was hard to tell them apart or keep them straight.
Mongoose: We were only able to see these small rodents for a second before they would run back into their holes.
Monkeys: We had a monkey go inside our van and steal our apples!
Hedgehog: We had these little creatures running around our campsite at night.
