Amboseli National Park is known for its rich wildlife. Here, you can see four of the Big Five animals that many visitors want to see. The Big Five are lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants.
However, Amboseli does not have rhinos. The park once had rhinos, but they were poached by locals. The animals you can see in Amboseli from the Big Five are elephants, lions, leopards, and buffaloes.
Elephants
Elephants are one of the main attractions in Amboseli National Park. The park is home to large herds of elephants. It is believed that over 1,800 elephants live here, a number higher than most other conservation areas in the region. The Amboseli Elephant Trust has done important work to help protect these elephants.
Because of the large number of elephants, the park attracts many researchers and wildlife documenters. There are about 58 elephant families in Amboseli.
Each family has several adult females and usually one grown female leads the group.
Elephants have close family bonds and often form clans. The gestation period for an elephant is about 640 days, and baby elephants weigh around 120 kilograms at birth.
Lions
Lions are often called the king of the jungle. Many travelers are excited to see lions during their Amboseli safari. The park has over 100 lions. They are easiest to see in the early morning when they are active or hunting.
Lions are often found near the roads in the evening. The park’s open savanna plains make it easy to spot lions. Night game drives can also take you to see these jungle kings. Female lions usually hunt in groups while the males wait to share the kill.
Leopards
Leopards are shy and rare in Amboseli National Park. They are also very powerful and dangerous animals. Leopards often sleep in trees and hunt at night.
To see them during daytime game drives, you need to look closely in the tree canopies.
Leopards have spots like cheetahs but are more muscular. Their strong front legs help them catch prey and carry it up into the trees.
Buffaloes
Buffaloes are one of the most common members of the Big Five in Amboseli. The park has large herds of buffaloes, often found near the dry lake basin. In the afternoons, they usually stay in swampy areas to keep cool.
Buffaloes move and graze in large groups. Each group has a dominant male. Buffaloes are calm animals, but when they charge, they are very dangerous and should be treated with respect.
Hippos
Hippos are also found in Amboseli National Park, mostly in and around the park’s lakes and swamps. These large animals spend much of their time in water to stay cool.
Hippos are usually seen resting in the water during the day and coming out at night to feed on grass.
They can be very aggressive if disturbed, so it is important to keep a safe distance. Watching hippos in their natural habitat is a unique part of the Amboseli safari experience.
