The Serengeti has one of the highest densities of big cats in Africa. But the plains are huge, and knowing where each cat likes to be is what makes the difference.
Lions
Lions live in prides and rest for most of the day, often on the granite kopjes that rise from the plains, or in the shade near water. Early morning is the time to find them moving or on a kill. By mid-morning they’re usually asleep in plain view.
Leopards
Leopards are solitary and secretive. In the Serengeti they’re most often found along the Seronera River, lying in sausage trees and yellow-barked acacias, sometimes with a kill hauled up into the branches. Scanning trees slowly, branch by branch, is how you find them.
Cheetahs
Cheetahs hunt by day and prefer open short grass, where they can see and sprint. The plains south and east of Seronera are good. Look for a slim shape sitting upright on a termite mound, scanning for gazelles.
How guides find them
Experience, local knowledge and a lot of listening: to alarm calls from impala, baboons and birds, and to radio chatter between guides. Being out at dawn matters more than anything else.
For the best chances, choose a trip with at least two full Serengeti days, such as the 6-day safari.
Your questions answered
What time of day is best for cats?
Early morning and late afternoon.
Is it common to see a kill?
It happens, but it can’t be planned. You need time and some luck.
Are there leopards in the Ngorongoro Crater?
A few, but they’re seen much less often than in the Serengeti.
