THE BIG FIVE OF AFRICA

The term, coined in the late 1800s during Africa’s colonial period, refers to what trophy hunters considered the most challenging and dangerous, difficult animals to hunt and track on foot. Africa’s big five include Lion, Leopard, and African buffalo, Rhinoceros and Elephant.

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT AFRICA”S BIG FIVE

African Lion.

An African lion (Panthera leo) is the largest, predator on land, the courageous king of the jungle. It has a short, tawny coat, tufted tail, a group of lions is called a pride and males are distinguished from females because of their heavy mane around the neck and shoulders and the darker the manes the older he is.

The females hold the territory and stay with the pride in which they were born, they also do the most hunting and take care of the cubs’ It usually hunts zebra, impala, giraffes and other herbivorous like wildebeest for pray. Lions use their roar as a form of communication and can be heard up to 5 miles away.

Leopard

The African leopard (Panthera pardus) is the solitary and elusive animals of the big 5, staying hidden during day. It’s the least seen of the big five because of its nocturnal habits and hunts at night. Its pray include zebras and antelopes like Thompson Gazelle.

They tend to hide their pray in the trees to prevent lions and hyenas from stealing it and a leopard is also a good swimmer and occasionally feed on fish. Speaking of spots, most leopards are light-colored, with distinctive darker spots that are called rosettes. Black leopards which appear to be almost solid in color because their spots are hard to distinguish are commonly known as black panthers.

African buffalo.

The African buffalo ( Syncerus Caffer) is a large horned bovid is a very territorial and protective. its considered the most dangerous animal of the big five. Buffalos are mostly found in groups and large herds and spend a lot of their time grazing.

Both the male and female buffalos have horns but the males curve and come together in the center forming a big boney plate known as a boss. These creatures have been known to ambush and attack humans, if this cow like animal feels threatened it can become aggressive and charge with astonishing speed.

Rhinoceros

This is the most endangered species of the Big five. The black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) are large herbivores with two upright horns on their nasal bridge. A rhino can weigh up to 5000 pounds and its horns can grow up to 5 feet long, they also have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell.

African Elephant.

This is the biggest of the big five. The African bush elephant (Loxodonta Africana) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta Cyclotis) are the largest extant land based mammal in the world and can reach up to 3 meters in height up to 7 tons though the African forest elephant is 3 feet shorter. These gentle giants are herbivores with think, almost hairless skin, a long flexible, prehensile trunk, their upper incisors forming long curved ivory tusks and large fan shaped ears.

Elephants communicate across a large distance at a very low frequency through their feet and the soil that cannot be heard by humans; these giant creatures live in a herd that is led by the matriarch female.