The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is home to some of the best and rare animal species in the world. In this article, I’m going to take you on a journey around the Serengeti National park and show you the awesome animals you will find over there.
The magnificent plains of the Serengeti are home to over 500 species of birds and over 300 species of mammals with about 80 being larger mammals. Here’s a list of them and where or how to sight them.
| Animals At The Serengeti NP | Where & How To Spot Them |
| 1. Lions | The Woodlands and plains of the Park |
| 2. Black-Rhinos | Located around the kopjes in the center of the park. |
| 3. Elephant | Located on the Northern region of the park |
| 4. Cheetah | On the open fields of the Savanna |
| 5. Cape Buffalo | On the grasslands and waterholes |
| 6. Giraffe | The western part of the Serengeti National Park |
| 7. Zebra, Wildebeest | Plain open fields of the Savana and during the migration to and from Serengeti to Masai Mara. |
| 8. Leopard | Inclined trunks of very tall trees |
| 9. Hyena | Sand River, the Rhino ridge, the conservation areas |
A trip to Africa will be incomplete without a trip to the Serengeti National Park because of exciting experience you’re going to have with all of these animals at the park.
Let’s now take a look at the complete list of the 21 Serengeti animals, pictures, some of the most important details of these Serengeti animals, and how to spot them in their natural habitat.
1. Lions
The Serengeti National park is home to over 3,000 lions. The Serengeti lions are among the big 5 in the park.
Without a doubt, Serengeti is by far one of the few places on planet earth with the most lions.
These Savanna Kings are abundant in Serengeti due to the diverse species of animals that live in Serengeti’s ecosystem.
You would want to brace yourself for some lion-on-zebra and lion-on-wildebeest action.
This action involves the lions going after their prey in a spectacular fashion – when their prey finds its way into their pride territories around the woodlands and plains of this beautiful animal park.
The lions of the Serengeti also prey on buffalo and antelopes.
2. Black-Rhinos
Once one of the most heavily populated places, Serengeti today is estimated to have a little over 140 Black rhinos. A little fun fact!
These black rhinos reproduce only once every 5 years. The breeding factor together with poaching explains the low population of the black rhinos at the park.
But hey, don’t let this ruin the fun. The great news is that there are a lot of efforts being put in place (like policies against poaching) to help increase the population of these beautiful creatures.
The black-rhinos can be located around the kopjes in the center of the park. So your time at the Serengeti national park will be captivating and fill with the thrill of these awesome and mighty creatures in action.
With the help of the very best and experienced tour guides, you will be able to spot black rhinos at the Serengeti National park as they pluck fruits, leaves with their lips, and plummet trees as their meals.
3. Elephants
Located in the Northern region of the park, these peaceful creatures are simply an irresistible sight to behold.
Known as the African bush elephant, you will find these beautiful mighty wonders in a herd lead by their matriarch – the oldest female.
The African bush elephant’s population has also suffered significant losses on the continent of Africa but you can be rest assured that at the Serengeti National Park you’re sure to find over 5,000 of these gentle giants.
Yes indeed, these 7 ton African bush elephants are gentle giants but it goes without saying that you need to respect their privacy when your paths cross during your trip to the park.
You will be able to spot these African elephants in a herd of 2 all the way to over 20 elephants in the early hours of the mornings, late afternoons, and evening at the Serengeti national park.
4. Cheetah
The Tanzanian cheetah is very common in the Serengeti ecosystem. This is because their main source of food is antelopes – with Thomson’s gazelle being their absolute favorite.
A visit to the Serengeti around the open fields of the Savanna will offer you one of the most exciting speed showdowns where Thomson’s gazelle likes to graze.
You will find these athletic animals mostly in the South-Eastern plains. The cheetahs you will encounter at the Serengeti national park are among the most friendly wild animals in the park.
The Cheetahs at Serengeti are very familiar with humans and will often stroll past or climb tour vehicles to give you the most sensational harmless up-close view we all love when we visit animal parks.
5. Cape Buffalo
The Cape buffalo at the Serengeti national park is among the animals with the highest population on the park.
With an estimated 53,000 individual cape buffalo inside the park, you will not miss the spectacular view of herds of these beautiful bush cows on the grasslands and waterholes as they eat and quench their hunger and thirst for the day.
These animals may seem pretty chill, gentle, and in most cases be mistaken for domestic cows.
But they can be extremely dangerous and are known to have killed a lot of game hunters than any other animal in Africa. The Cape buffalo is also known to kill lions and will show no mercy to its cubs.
6. Giraffe
The giraffe is the national symbol of Tanzania with its exceptional qualities such as gracefulness and visionary. The images of the giraffe have been featured in a lot of Tanzanian paper currencies.
Because of this, the giraffe is highly protected by the laws of Tanzania.
There are approximately over 100,000 giraffes with over 60% being matured.
Another interesting statistic you might fancy is the fact that about 70% of all calves in the Serengeti are hunted by their predators like the mighty Serengeti lion.
You will be particularly amazed by the view of up to 30 giraffes grouped on the Western part of the Serengeti National Park.
7. Zebra
The Serengeti national park in Tanzania is well known for its annual migration of more than 1.5 million white-bearded wildebeest and more than 250,000 zebras to and from Serengeti to Masai Mara.
The success of this great migration can be attributed to the spectacular guidance the zebras offer during the trip. You can say that the zebras are the main orchestrators of the entire move as they serve as the eyes and GPS of migration.
This is because of the extraordinary ability of the zebra to cram and keep in memory the long winding routes and also acting as the eyes of the entire trip to sight predators both far and near.
8. Wildebeest
The wildebeests are the main attraction of the widely known big migration to and from Serengeti to Masai Mara. As stated above, the wildebeest constitute a large percentage of the entire migration.
The Wildebeests are the ears of the entire trip and can detect predators from miles away.
The captivating view of over 1.5 million wildebeests crossing the dangerous crocodile-infested river of Mara will make you gasp for breath and it’s no wonder this particular phenomenon is considered one of the 7 Natural wonders of Africa.
The best time to see the sensational movement of the wildebeest in unison, together with zebras, gazelle, and impalas in their search for greener pastures is in June and July when these herds crossover the Grumeti River.
You can also catch a glimpse of this migration in late August or early September when the Mara River crossing into Kenya takes place. Or in January or February when they calve in the Southern part of the Serengeti.
9. Leopard
The leopards of Serengeti are often confused with the cheetahs in the park. The leopards are a lot heavier than the cheetahs in the Serengeti park.
Another distinction you will notice with the Serengeti leopard is their hollow spots as against the solid spots on the Serengeti Cheetah.
The Serengeti Leopards are known for their robust but reclusive nature. They are a lot stealthier than cheetahs and lions and because of this, the Serengeti leopard has been able to sustain its population over the years in the park.
The leopards are among the very first animals you will encounter upon your visit to the Serengeti national park.
You will often spot them on tall large trees resting on the inclined trunks of the tree – usually with a fresh kill beside it completely off the ground where cheetahs, lions, and hyenas cannot steal them.
You will also find them along the tracks built especially for game-viewing along the riverine.
10. Hyena
You will never miss the cheeky spontaneous laughter of the Serengeti hyena. They are often heard than seen. During the early hours of the morning, you will be able to hear very loud bursts of hyena calls.
The Modus Operandi of these hyenas is astonishing. These cheeky animals are united in solitude and at war. They live in clans with numbers ranging between 5 – 80 hyenas in a clan.
These creatures are vicious and are a lot more fierce the larger the clan is. The Serengeti hyenas are the most numerous large predators in the Serengeti national park.
You will be able to spot their dens around the Sand River, the Rhino ridge, the conservation areas, and the lookout hill.
11. Impala
If you love to see animals sprint, then the exceptional way the impala runs and the heights it’s able to achieve during its sprint is utterly amazing.
The Impala is a medium-sized slender antelope that can be spotted easily during the day. This is because it’s an animal that is usually active during the day.
The Serengeti Impala is known for its beautiful leap strategy when danger is imminent.
As graceful as this animal is it’s on top of the food chain of most of the wild Serengeti animals such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards.
Not only is it on top of the food chain, but it’s also an essential prey species for the survival of most of these carnivores.
12. Hartebeest
The hartebeest is locally called the Kongoni. The Serengeti national park is enriched with these adorable antelopes.
Yes, the hartebeest is one of the larger species of antelopes common in the Serengeti national park of Tanzania and are quite easy to spot. A small herd of hartebeest can consist of 20 individuals.
These magnificent antelopes due to their large size are a lot harder to prey on by the wild cats of the park.
In addition to their massive stature, the hartebeest animals are also one of the fastest and most enduring runners capable of reaching speeds of up to 70 km/h.
They also use their formidable horns to fight off predators.
13. Waterbuck
The Waterbuck just like the hartebeest are also large antelopes. These gregarious animals can form herds consisting of 6 to 30 individuals – in groups of nursery herds, bachelor herds, and the territorial males.
The Serengeti is particularly home to the Defassa and the common Waterbuck. The Defassa Waterbuck are classed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as near threatened.
One unique thing worth mentioning is the fact that the Waterbuck has numerous glands over their body which help to produce and emit an oily secretion that has a musky smell.
This secretion taints its meat, repels insects, and renders its shaggy hair waterproof.
Despite its name, don’t expect to find the Waterbuck in Water or the wetlands.
They are actually not very aquatic. The only time you will find the Waterbuck venturing into water is to escape a predator. They can often be spotted in the woodlands of the park.
14. Topi
The Topi is another species from the antelope family. It’s often found in the company of the wildebeests and zebras during the big annual migration.
The Topi is very similar to the Hartebeest in terms of color (but much darker), body size, and body shape.
The Topi has a large body but also has an athletic set of legs that allows run fast adapting to life in the open plains of the park.
15. Gazelle
Gazelles are a common species of from the antelope family in the Serengeti. The Thomson’s gazelles are a delicacy for the Serengeti cheetahs.
The cheetahs have mastered how to hunt them due to their size and as a result is the cheetah’s go-to meal.
They are extremely fast but their speed is no match for the quick blast of the cheetah which is often a spectacular 1-2 minute chase. So you would want to get your cameras ready for this exciting action.
The Serengeti gazelle is often confused with the Impala due to how they both look. However, there’s a big difference between these animals. So let’s get it out of the way.
There are two main differences between the Impala and the gazelle which is their body size (gazelles are usually much smaller) and which of their gender has horns.
Usually, only the male Impala will have horns while with the gazelle, both the male and female will come with beautiful horns.
There are two common gazelles at the Serengeti: as mentioned before, Thomson’s gazelles and Grant’s gazelles.
The Thomson’s gazelles can be spotted as they move from the Central and Western Serengeti woodlands during the dry seasons while Grant’s gazelles can be found in the Eastern Serengeti plains in the green seasons.
16. Hippos
The Serengeti national park is one of the best places to spot hippos. You can find these majestic creatures in the heart of the Serengeti – the Retina hippo pool located in the Central part of the Serengeti park where the Seronera and Orange rivers meet.
In this hippo pool at the Serengeti, it’s absolutely astonishing to watch the massive volumes of hippos all concentrated in one spot having a great time.
17. Hyrax
The Hyrax is referred to as the elephant’s cousin. Just by looking at the picture above, I know you might be thinking, this animal doesn’t look anything like an elephant. So what’s the deal?
The hyrax is a close relative of the elephant in terms of their evolutionary path, common ancestry, and reproductive characteristics.
The hyrax is one of the common animals you will see at the Serengeti national park. They are quite rare and are mostly limited to Africa and the Middle East.
In Serengeti, you will often spot them around the kopjes of the park or parts of the park that’s rocky.
Their feet are covered in a soft rubbery pad that offers them their maneuverability prowess over rocky and steep grounds.
18. Nile Crocodile
The Nile crocodiles of the Serengeti offer one of the most dramatic predation events in the world.
It features a herd of panicked wildebeest trampling over each other to cross the Grumeti river to get to the other side and then a sudden explosion in the water as a massive crocodile pull one of the struggling wildebeest underwater.
A visit to the Serengeti will also give an enthralling view of hundreds of gigantic Nile crocodiles resting along the river banks of Mara and Grumeti rivers as hippos swim nearby.
The Nile crocodiles of the Serengeti are one of the most clever predators in the park.
19. Birds
There are over 500 bird species at the Serengeti and even if you’re not a big fan of birds, there’s a good chance you’re going to become one at heart after visiting this lovely bird paradise.
Some of the very unique bird species you will find at the Serengeti include the bright green and yellow Fischer’s Lovebird, or the Kuri bustard with its majestic white beard.
You’re also going to encounter about 5 different bird species that exist nowhere in the world but the Serengeti. Most tour guides will gladly point them out to you.
The exciting part is that bird watching at the Serengeti National Park is all year round, but the best time to catch some amazing bird flights, migratory birds from North Africa and Europe, and more exceptionally, the nesting time for most of the resident birds is late April and early November.
20. Dik-Dik
The savannas of the Serengeti is also made up of rock islands formed millions of years ago. These special islands are usually home to species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else on the planet.
One of such animal is the Dik-Dik. You will never find them on the open plains of the savanna. This animal gets its name from the warning sounds it makes.
The Dik-Dik is the smallest antelope in the world – with a size just like a domestic cat. They can live up to about 10 years and are often predated by leopards.
21. Monkey
The Serengeti is not only home to wild predators but also new mates such as the Vervet monkeys, the beautiful Colobus monkeys, Olive baboons. You will spot them along the Grumeti River on trees climbing from one branch to the other.
Conclusion
The wildlife and ecosystem of the Serengeti National park are simply amazing and your visit is going to be filled with endless excitement, fun, and adventure.
I also put together this article to help you with the best of the best information if you simply want to learn about the animals of the Serengeti National Park.
After reading this article, which of these animals are you eager to see and why? Let’s hear from you! Cheers.