10 Facts About The Big Five

Africa is without a doubt the destination of choice for travelers looking to experience the world’s best game-viewing. Out of all the images and feedback we receive the “Big Five” is always mentioned. One of the most frequent questions asked is, “what are the Big Five?”  The “Big Five” consists of the elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and African buffalo.

We have compiled a list of 10 facts about the “Big Five” so that you can show off your African wildlife knowledge on your next safari!

    

1. African elephants communicate with each other from 5 miles away and at a frequency that humans cannot hear.

2. African elephants are the world’s largest land animals. The biggest can be up to 7.5m long, 3.3m high at the shoulder, and 6 tons in weight.

3. African lions are the most social of all the big cats and live together in prides. A pride consists of about 15 lions.

4. Male lions defend the pride’s territory while females do most of the hunting. Despite this, the males eat first.

5. Rhinos are very inventive and make their own sunblock. Rhinos which will soak in mud for up to three hours at a time, rely on mud to protect their skin from biting pests and the blistering  sun.

6. The closest living rhino “relatives” are tapirs, horses and zebras. They are part of a group of mammals called odd-toed ungulates.

7. The leopard is a very strong climber and pound for pound, the strongest climber of the large cats.

8. Leopard cubs are born blind and completely rely on their mothers.  Their eyes begin to open after about ten or more days and for the first few months, their eyes are bright blue.

9. The African buffalo is one of the most abundant of Africa’s large herbivores. It will also not live in an area with less than 10 inches of rain water.

10. Unfortunately all of these wonderful animals are all victims of population decline due to a mixture of environmental issues along with poaching and trophy killing. For example, In 1975 there were an estimated 250,000 lions in Africa, yet today the continent-wide population stands at 25-30,000.

     

At Saviours of wildlife  we are passionate about the conservation of this beautiful continent along with protecting the landscapes and animals for years to come. Find out how you can give back on your next safari by adding a volunteer tour to your trip.

INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIG FIVE ( Africa’s Big Five) one by one !!!

Africa’s Big Five does not refer to the five biggest animals in Africa,it is a list of the five most difficult African animals to hunt on foot…

That is not to say that they aren’t “big”, but giraffes and hippos are clearly larger than leopards.

“Africa’s Big Five” is also occasionally misinterpreted to mean the five most dangerous animals in Africa. All the animals in the “Big Five” have killed human beings, but are not statistically the most dangerous animals.

The real test was from a hunting stand point, and big game hunters over the years have declared these five animals to be the most difficult to track down and persue in their native habitats. Danger is a consideration, but hippos actually kill more people than any of the Big Five, yet aren’t on the list because they apparently are not as difficult to hunt.

The Cape Buffalo

The cape buffalo is perhaps the most dangerous of the “Big Five”, particularly if it is injured. They are notorious for seeking revenge on hunters in the bush, turning the tables, tracking down those who shot at or injured them, and sometimes attacking and even killing entire hunting parties.

Known as the “Black Death”, the biggest danger in hunting them is that they are so physically dense and muscular that it may take several shots to bring them down. Angered and in pain they may charge and kill the hunter before the bullets have any effect.

The African Elephant

The African elephant is the largest land animal and also one of the most intelligent. They live in family groups made up of females and their youngsters, headed by a wise matriarch. The elephant is extremely social and has shown evidence of compassion and empathy, as well as indications that they mourn dead relatives. Elephants will examine and caress the bones of dead friends and relatives for years after their passing and have been seen to walk deliberately off course to visit a the site of a family members passing.

The leopard is the smallest of the “Big Five” but perhaps the most difficult to hunt because they are stealthy and shy. They are significantly smaller than lions and tigers, and occasionally even fall prey to a hungry lion. The jaguar is native to south and central America, and once roamed the southern United States. Both leopards and jaguars are buff to yellow to orange in color with black or dark brown spots in a classic “rosette” pattern. Black individuals occur fairly regularly, the result of a melanism gene. The spots can still be seen on the black fur as subtle shading. Both black leopards and black jaguars are popularly called black panthers, although they are not a separate species and black individuals will occur side by side in the same litter with normally colored cubs. Leopards and jaguars are difficult to tell apart if the location is unknown The jaguar is generally a stouter animal with a proportionately rounder head, fuller cheeks and smaller eyes and ears. It is sometimes stated that the leopard does not have a dot at the center of the circles of dots on its coat known as “rosettes”, or that the center of the rosette on the jaguar is darker than the body color, but both jaguars and leopards vary greatly in this regard and coat pattern is not a reliable means of identification.

The African Lion

Native to Africa and a tiny portion of India, the lion is the most unique of these cats. Adult male lions display a full ruff of shaggy hair around their heads known as a mane.

This is not just special for a big cat, it is very rare among any mammals to have such obvious physical distinction between the sexes. The lion is also a very social cat with an interesting and complicated pride dynamic.

The king of beasts also has the loudest roar of the four roaring “big cats” – naturally!

The rhinoceros

Black rhinos and white rhinos are both native to Africa. They are actually both basically shades of grey in color, and their top lip is a far better way to tell them apart.

The white rhino eats low grasses on the plains and has a wide, straight top lip to shave grass blades close to the ground.

The black rhino dines on different types of vegetation, including buds and shoots in the brush. They have a pointed top lip that is prehensile to wrap around buds and leaves and pull them off branches

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by Brighton Mbilinyi  (Wildlife conservationist)