Fan of big cats? Those elusive beasts which are lightning fast, they crouch low and soundlessly follow their prey until the hunt is done, exciting to say the least. One would love to have a close-up encounter with them in a safe environment. Listen to their resounding roars. Watch them closely enough so you can take some great pictures back home to your family and friends. If such are your pursuits, then a big cats safari adventure in Africa is just for you.
Since these are wild cats we are talking about here, you need to take all the necessary precautions and all the advice you can get. This is why it’s deemed best if you get the services of a professional safari tour operator such as Naturetrek, they’ll help take you to the perfect spots to capture great pictures of these wild beasts in action. So, if you are planning to go on a big cat safari this year, here are a few destinations you should be considering..
- The necessary preparations
Simply declaring that you are going on a safari and buying the tickets to Africa won’t do you any good. You need to make all the necessary preparations beforehand. From buying safari gear online to making all the reservations at the right places.
What you’re signing up for includes an intoxicating setting of dramatic landscapes that are roamed freely by the big cats. These grand plains of the African countries have attracted numerous travelers and wildlife-lovers for decades so the wild beasts here are well accustomed to humans. So, when you plan to go on a safari, you get confronted by a multitude of options that you have to sift through. Fortunately for your convenience we have done the hard work for you and made a list of the best places you need to visit. So, without further ado, let’s get right into them.
- Big Cats in Masai Mara, Kenya
In case you're hoping to see the absolute best that an African safari can offer, there aren’t many parks that can flaunt the amazing feral beasts in their natural habitat that matches the Masai Mara.
In July, August and September this natural reserve gives the setting to enjoy Great Migration. Here you get to see over 1,000,000 wildebeest and zebra herds running through crocodile domains around the Mara River to arrive at the crisp undulating meadows of the savannah. There are bountiful fields here that are clamoring with huge populations of hunting opportunities that attract huge prides of lion, panther and cheetah all year. This makes the Masai Mara National Reserve a universally eminent spot for excellent game survey and very close sightings of the savage enormous felines.
There are numerous chances to see Big Cats in Kenya. Here you can continue in the strides of Jonathon Scott, as he introduced the darling BBC Big Cat Diary arrangement following the lives of the Marsh Pride lion family over the Mara, from his base at Governors' Camp – an extravagance rose convenience we use today.
- Big Cats in Serengeti, Tanzania
The green savannah of the Masai Mara broadens further south into Tanzania shaping the huge open Serengeti National Park and here, the wild beasts, completely oblivious to borders of countries, roam freely towards their migratory destinations in tremendous crowds. Among them also prowl the moving hunters (the wild cats) grabbing their chances to hunt their favorite prey. It’s a sight to behold and this is precisely what you are going to get if you travel to Serengeti in Tanzania for a big cat safari.
Tanzania's streams are filled with hippos and crocodiles yet the genuine stars of the Serengeti are found in the denser bramble and Acacia that length the focal districts of the recreation center. Here, lion and cheetah are consistently spotted on safari journeys and game drives, yet Tanzania is celebrated for another of its catlike occupants. The mysterious ways of the panthers make them trickier to notice, yet the focal Serengeti and the Seronera River Valley brag about the best panther sightings in Africa.
So, if it’s the panthers you are looking for then Tanzania has it all for you. If you like hunting, you can also get a hunting permit, but you will need to have all the guns and guidance about it. It is best that you go with the experienced hunters if you are not seasoned in this sport. There are also the local guides who can help you a lot in this regard. Safari adventure in Africa is full of surprises and you occasionally get to sink your teeth in rare delicacies if you are with the right crowd. So, if you are embarking on such an adventure, make sure to surround yourself with the right people. You will have fun for sure.
- Big Cats in South Luangwa, Zambia
The eastern outskirts of the South Luangwa National Park is avoided by the perpetually wandering, ambivalent way of the Luangwa River, a significant feeder of the omnipotent Zambezi River. In the blustery season the waterway blasts its banks, flooding the natural reserve and transforming the dry shrubs into stretches of rich green vegetation. It’s a great sight to behold and among this green you will find the cats you are looking for.
The existence of the waterway attracts the bigger wild beasts. You will get to see groups of bison and elephant walk the fields among pronghorn. The winding stream and oxbow lakes are home to the valley's crocodile populaces so if you are interested in watching some crocodiles hunting for their prey, you know where to go. For those hoping to spot the big cats, any jeep safari can get you regular encounters with lions and panthers on normal drives. The local guides are experienced in following big cats and will easily get you to all the right places where you can see those lovely animals in action. These sights are simply an allure for the voyagers and gets them to flock to the recreation center's shrub lands and enjoy it's strolling safaris.
- Big Cats in Lower Zambezi, Zambia
Zambia's biggest and most intense character isn't one found wandering on four legs through the African scenes.
The Zambezi River roars over the Victoria Falls, crisscrosses through the Batoka Gorge, streams into Lake Kariba and afterward proceeds with all the more steadily eastwards through the Lower Zambezi Valley. Its course is flanked by particularly delightful public parks crossing distant floodplains, broadleaf forest and thick woods, supporting pronghorn, hippo, crocodiles and huge elephant groups.
The quiet channels of the Lower Zambezi empowers waterway, boat and kayak safaris to take you near untamed life and the recreation center permits kayaking and fishing exercises to change up your vacation. The moderately immaculate nature of the recreation center is perhaps the biggest resource. A portion of the African big cats you can see here are prides of lions and panthers. These stay plentiful and are regularly spotted easily. You can see these big cats sulking in the shade of Acacia trees in the distance.
These were our top destinations for spotting big cats in Africa. We hope you liked them.