Beyond the Big Five: Africa’s Hidden Safari Stars

Safaris that feature Africa’s iconic Big Five — lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo — continue to dominate travel wish lists. These animals have long defined the classic safari, their status elevated by decades of documentaries. But Africa’s story runs far deeper. For those willing to look beyond the familiar, the continent offers encounters that are no less extraordinary — just less expected. Elusive, overlooked, and quietly astonishing, these six rare and remarkable animals invite a different kind of safari — one that rewards curiosity over convention.

1. African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

Painted predators with pack precision

Critically endangered and notoriously hard to spot, African wild dogs are among the continent's most enthralling predators. With fewer than 7,000 remaining in the wild, they survive in tightly knit packs across southern Africa.

Easily distinguished by their mottled fur, large rounded ears, and bushy tails, these social carnivores communicate using high-pitched calls, coordinate their movements with military precision and hunt as a unified team. Capable of covering up to 50km in a single day and running at speeds of 34mph, they pursue prey until exhaustion. Their kill success rate is the highest among African predators, and their social order is heartwarming — pups and injured members eat first, and all adults help rear the alpha pair's young. Despite their notoriety, wild dogs are typically non-aggressive toward humans and rarely fight amongst themselves.

Where to see them: Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando; Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools; Tanzania’s Selous and Serengeti; South Africa’s Kruger and KwaZulu Natal.

2. Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus)

Speed, elegance — and high stakes

Built for acceleration, the cheetah is the fastest land animal, capable of hitting 60mph in just a few seconds. However, their hunts are high risk and often short-lived, as they can only maintain speed for 20–30 seconds before exhaustion sets in.

Weighing around 54kg, cheetahs are smaller than other big cats, with lithe builds, spotted coats, and long tails that help balance through sharp turns. Their semi-retractable claws provide exceptional traction and tear markings beneath their eyes reduce sun glare, aiding them in daylight hunts. Despite their talents, cheetahs are highly vulnerable — their kills are often stolen by lions or hyenas and cub mortality is around 90%. While females live alone, males often form “coalitions” with their brothers that may last for life.

Where to see them: Kenya’s Masai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti.

3. Brown Hyena (Parahyaena brunnea)

The ghostly scavenger of the desert

Among Africa’s rarest large carnivores, the brown hyena is solitary, secretive, and usually active at night. With only around 8,000 left in the wild, they are most often spotted in remote arid landscapes.

Characterised by long shaggy coats, striped forelegs, sloping backs, and large pointed ears, they can weigh up to 45kg and live 14–16 years. Unlike their boisterous spotted cousins, brown hyenas are quiet foragers who rely on their exceptional sense of smell to locate carcasses. Though mainly scavengers, they can bring down small prey and have even been observed hunting seal pups along the Namib coast. Opportunistic and versatile, they’ll eat everything from birds' eggs to wild fruits. Socially, they live in mixed-sex clans of four to 15 but typically scavenge alone and breed year-round.

Where to see them: Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, Botswana’s Makgadikgadi and Central Kalahari, and areas of Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, and South Africa.

4. Caracal (Caracal caracal)

The acrobat of the savannah

Graceful, shy, and rarely seen, the caracal is a sleek and powerful cat known for its extraordinary leaping ability and striking appearance. Though often called the Persian lynx, it’s actually more closely related to the serval and African golden cat.

Sporting a reddish-brown coat and distinct black ear tufts, caracals can grow to 20kg and leap up to 10 feet into the air, snatching multiple birds mid-flight. Their long hind legs give them explosive strength, while their sharp senses and acute hearing help pinpoint prey with incredible accuracy. They are fussy eaters, discarding feathers, fur, and internal organs, and may cache food in trees to avoid scavengers. Solitary and mostly nocturnal, they give birth to 2–3 kittens, which stay with the mother for up to 10 months. Often misunderstood, caracals have sometimes been killed by farmers blaming them for livestock losses.

Where to see them: Tanzania’s Serengeti, Kenya’s Maasai Mara, and South Africa’s West Coast National Park.

5. Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis)

Fierce, fearless, and ferociously clever

Small in stature but colossal in attitude, honey badgers are one of Africa’s most tenacious creatures. Related to weasels, they’re known for intelligence, toughness, and a knack for survival.

With bold black-and-white colouring, short muzzles, and almost impenetrable skin, honey badgers are built for battle. Their loose skin lets them twist and retaliate even when held in a predator’s grip. They have long claws for digging and are known to raid hives for honey using their tough tongues, impervious to stings. Not picky, they eat everything from venomous snakes and birds to roots and fruits. Despite weighing just 9–16kg, they’ve been seen fending off lions and stealing kills. Honey badgers have even been observed using tools and escaping enclosures with human-like ingenuity.

Where to see them: Zambia’s South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi; Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Kalahari; Kenya’s Tsavo; Namibia’s Etosha; Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools; South Africa’s Kalahari during winter months.

6. Serval (Leptailurus serval)

Africa’s long-legged feline sniper

Elegant and built for stealth, the serval is a solitary cat with the longest legs relative to body size of any feline. Though shy and primarily crepuscular, they’re among Africa’s most effective hunters, with a success rate exceeding 50%.

With golden-yellow coats dotted with black spots and bars, and satellite-dish ears, servals are adapted to tall grass and wetlands. Their hearing is so acute they can detect rodents underground. Once prey is located, they unleash a vertical pounce, sometimes springing over two metres into the air to pin or stun their target. They primarily feed on rodents, birds, frogs, and insects. Despite their relatively small size (8–18kg), servals are incredibly agile and can hunt both in dense reeds and open grassland.

Where to see them: Kenya’s Masai Mara, Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater, and the Okavango’s wetlands at dawn or dusk.

Still chasing the Big Five?

Here’s where your chances are highest:

• Elephant: Chobe National Park (Botswana), Hwange (Zimbabwe)
  

• Lion: Masai Mara (Kenya), Lake Manyara (Tanzania)
  

• Buffalo: Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania)
  

• Leopard: Sabi Sands (South Africa), South Luangwa (Zambia)
  

• Rhino: Etosha (Namibia), Lake Nakuru & Tsavo West (Kenya)
  

Call me to tailormake a safari to see any of the above.