Safari bucket lists typically feature the big ticket items such as spotting herds of majestic elephants, watching lion cubs play or catching a glimpse of a leopard lazing high up in a tree. Few hurry to the African plains to watch wildebeest dance or to catch a whiff of a Marabou Stork. But the Ugly Five (wildebeests, warthogs, vultures, hyenas and marabou storks), as they have been coined due to being - to put it brutally - the ‘ugliest’ animals in Africa, are just as spectacular as the Big Five (lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalos and elephants), but in their own unique ways. Although most of them have faces only their mothers could love, these creatures can often be seen rejoicing in their ugliness as they strut across the savannah. So have a read and discover where you can venture to see the Ugly Five on a slightly more unsightly Safari…
Wildebeest
We must admit that wildebeest were not designed with beauty or grace. Although not terribly unattractive when compared to some of the others on the list, their disproportionate bodies, peculiar facial hair and gnarly horns set them apart from their elegant antelope counterparts and landed them on the list of the Ugly Five. Despite their less-than-lovely appearance, these creatures put on a spectacular show at the Great Wildebeest Migration, which is recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The northern corner of the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya are the best places to spot these gangly gnus from July to October, but head to the Serengeti’s southern plains from January to March to catch a glimpse of wildebeest frolicking and launching themselves over crocodile infested rivers.
Warthog
Warthogs have won over the hearts of many thanks to The Lion King’s lovable wild pig Pumbaa, so you may wonder how they ended up as one of the Ugly Five. Their lumpy bumpy faces and wart-like protrusions might have something to do with it, as well as giving them their name. Despite not being too pretty, watching a family of warthogs, babies and all, trundling through the undergrowth with their loo brush-like tails pointing skywards, is enough to make anyone chuckle. Pumbaa and his pals happily roam the golden grasslands of many southern and eastern African countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya. Spend the afternoon at a watering hole hide with an expert local guide, watching as warthogs scurry between the gangly legs of towering giraffes and narrowly avoid being stomped on by a young bull elephant. Safari guide wannabes may even love heading out with a guide on foot and tracking little warthog trotter prints and wild pig dung.
Vulture
Some single out the lappet-faced vulture as the species’ representative in the Ugly Five, but we would argue that most of the eleven types could have made the cut. These scabby headed birds are scavengers and have been affectionately named nature’s very own clean-up crew. Egyptians even believe that vultures are the symbol of death due to their habits of praying on sick or dying animals. Despite their less than pleasant eating habits, vultures are in a spot of bother. Having been a seemingly permanent presence in the skies over Kenya, Ethiopia and Botswana (to name a few), the population of vultures has plummeted by 97% in the last 50 years due to illegal poisoning. Although these flying dustbins aren’t a pretty sight, spotting them in the wild will only become more of a novelty, so head out with an expert safari guide and see if you can spot a kettle of vultures lazing in a tree after a meaty afternoon snack, or even soaring overhead, so high you may even need your binos to spot them. If you have a David Attenborough fan among you, venturing into the bush with a wildlife scout who is able to identify suspicious poisoning activity would be an epic adventure.
Hyena
Hyenas are probably the most palatable of the Ugly Five when it comes to looks, but that all goes out the window when you know what they get up to. These hunchback wild dogs are kings of the scavengers, fending off vultures and marabou storks to the very last scraps of discarded carcasses that they find in the savannah. Listen out for a clan of hyenas cackling in the distance as your 4x4 rumbles through the plains of sub-Saharan Africa. The Serengeti in Tanzania and Luangwa Valley in Zambia are a couple of our favourite hot spots for catching a glimpse of these ugly beasts. Despite being one of the Ugly Five, hyenas are excellent mothers and, believe it or not, their big-eared puppies may lull you into thinking they are cute, so keep your eyes peeled for a hyena den and any little residents that may be within.
Marabou Stork
Be warned, you’ll probably be able to smell a marabou stork before you see it. With the rather ominous nickname ‘the undertaker bird’ due to its cloak-like wings and lack of voice box, these long-legged birds are unappealing enough to appear on the list of the Ugly Five. Combine their uninviting appearance with their eating habits (think feasting on carcasses and dead animal scraps) and they become no lovelier. Despite all this, they are essential for cleaning the African savannahs, acting like living dustbins, ridding the plains of the waste that would otherwise be left. These tufty-haired sour smelling birds can be seen in the savannahs and swamps as well as on riverbanks and lake shores in Sub-Saharan Africa, including in Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Hop aboard a traditional boat on the Okavango Delta and see if you can spot these ugly birds alongside their more appealing counterparts – white egrets, fish eagles and malachite kingfishers. For those who like to have their feet on dry land, a Serengeti safari in a rumbling 4x4 is also a great way to catch a glimpse of these savannah-dwelling birds. Let your guide know you are on the lookout for them and then get your binos at the ready as you traverse the plains looking for arguably the ugliest member of the Ugly Five.
Written by Immy Kelly