The term Big 5 is one that anyone looking at a Safari trip to Africa will no doubt have heard. The Masai Mara use the Big 5 as their biggest selling point, a chance to see some of the rarest and noblest animals on earth. The phrase was created by early hunters, who realized that these animals were the most difficult and most dangerous to hunt on foot. Today, they represent the most prized animals, and the ones that travellers hope to see.
First in the list is the African Elephant. The elephant is the world’s largest and heaviest land animal, with the largest weighing over 10 tons, or 9000 kilograms. They are found in 37 countries, and have the ability to survive in a range of habitats, from wetlands to deserts. They have thick skin to protect from the sharp bush thorns, and huge ears to cool them down. They are social animals, and live matriarchal groups.
The second is the African Lion, the king of the savannah. Although they sometimes hunt in the day, they are nocturnal animals, and most daytime sightings of them are of mealtimes or sleeptimes. Lions, unlike other cats, are very social animals, and live in prides consisting of a male and several females. In the wild, they can live to the age of 14, but most cubs have a very high mortality rate. If not from old age, male lions typically die in battles to protect their territory.
The third, and most elusive, is the African leopard. Shy and nocturnal, these cats often spend their daylight hours hidden away. They are well camouflaged, and with their dotted rosettes, can remain hidden in their trees from any watchful predator. Their hunting skill stems from the ability to upwards of 35 miles an hour / 60 kilometers and hour. They are fiercely powerful, and can take down prey many times the size of their own.
The Cape buffalo is the fourth on the list. Found in parks with ample water sources, the species that is found the in Mara is the largest of the 4 subspecies. They are strong and formidable creatures, and are renowned as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They are ill tempered, and don’t take well to threats. Sporting a pair of huge curved sharp horns and weighing almost 920 kilograms, the largest males can fend of anything.
Finally, the last includes the White and Black rhinos. Both, after high demand for rhino horns in Asian countries, they are facing extinction. The last white rhino male, named Sudan, died in March of 2018. It is estimated there are only around 2500 black rhino are left in the world. 3 subspecies of black rhino are already extinct, and it’s listed as critically endangered on the ICUN red list. Despite their names, there is no color difference between the two. One can tell by the lips a black rhinos and pointed, while the white rhinos are flat and wide.