About Big 5
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The Lion |
Panthera leo |
| Lions are the more social of the feline category and live in prides of up to 15 lions. Lions live between 10 and 14 years and can weigh as much as 250 kg. Lions are not as hard to spot as rhinos or leopards and the chances are you will see one on in the major game parks in Africa. A typical pride consists of a cubs, females and very few males. You will often hear them roar at night and it is said that their roar can be heard for up to 8km. |
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The Leopard |
Panthera pardus |
| Even though there are more leopards than rhinos in the big 5, they are as frequently spotted on a safari. This is due to the fact that Leopards often sit in trees for protection and viewing. So remember to check the trees when searching for this particular animal. They are generally shy, nocturnal, and live in a wide range of habitats compared to most other cats.
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The African Elephant |
Loxodonta africana |
| There are two types of elephants that can be found in Africa, The Bush elephant and the Forest elephant. This is the largest land mammal and it is remarkably adaptable. Elephants are found in deserts, savannahs and rain forests. These mammals can weigh up to 10,900 kg. It is said that elephants are peaceful until threatened, although they have no natural predators, they may feel threatened by Humans when they get too close. |
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The Cape Buffalo |
Syncerus caffer |
| These mammals are not usually seen by themselves when they are spotted as they tend to appear in very large herds. Cape Buffalo usually weigh over 700 kg's and are said to have killed more hunters than any other animal in Africa. Naturally, Lions rarely prey on these animals as they are more than capable of killing them. |
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The African Rhino |
(B) Diceros bicornis |
(W) Ceratotherium simum |
| There are two types of Rhinos in Africa, the Black rhino and the White rhino. These African rhinos have two upright horns on their snout. These mammals are the second largest after the elephant and they are herbivores. They are also short sighted and short tempered. Sadly, nowadays, there aren't too many to look at as they are poached quite frequently. They are poached for their horn which is said to more valuable than gold in the Middle East and the Far East. The Black Rhinos numbers have decreased the most, there are said to be only 3500 left.
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