Ngorongoro Crater

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Tanzania.

The Ngorongoro Crater is without a doubt Tanzania’s most productive Big Five destination. The crater floor teems with wildlife, and predator sightings tend to be exceptional. It harbors the world’s densest lion population and spotted hyenas are equally common. Look out for smaller carnivores, such as golden and black-backed jackals and bat-eared foxes. If you’re lucky, you might also see a serval hunting small rodents or birds.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeNone

HippoCommon

BuffaloAbundant

ZebraAbundant

WildebeestAbundant

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoCommon

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahNone

HyenaAbundant

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Most safari heavyweights are well represented in the crater. Black rhino is the star attraction and big numbers of buffalo sweep across the grassy plains. Elephant herds rarely come through, but many lone bulls carrying massive tusks have made the crater floor their home. Although giraffes are common in the greater conservation area, you won’t find any inside of the crater. Presumably the steep walls form a natural barrier for them.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing is excellent in the Ngorongoro Crater throughout the year, although animals are most easily spotted during the Dry season (June to October). The scenery of the crater is most spectacular in the Wet season (November to May), but at that time the grass might be long in places. This can interfere with seeing some of the smaller animals. March and April are the wettest months.