If you have searched for safaris and wildlife in Africa, then I am sure that you had come across with term ‘The Big Five animals of Africa’. They are the most beautiful and elusive land mammals on Earth, found only in Africa and only in select regions of the continent. Look those in the eyes will forever create an everlasting memory.
The term The Big Five does not refer to their size. It was actually given to these startling African mammals by African was coined by big-game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. These trophy animals were the most dangerous and difficult to kill whilst hunting on foot because of their unpredictable behavior. Unfortunately, in Africa, the Big Five animals are now some of the most endangered animals on the planet. Illegal poaching, increasing conflicts with the human population and degradation to their environment has all led to pressures on their wild populations.
All five species are native to Africa, the Big5 Safari, now provides travelers all over the globe the priceless opportunity to observe the magnificent creatures gamboling in their own habitat. If you would like to see them all at one go, East Africa national parks will not disappoint you. Want to know some interesting facts about these astounding African animals before you meet them in their nature habitat? Take a look below!
African Elephant (Loxodonta africana Africana)

The mighty African elephant is the largest of the Big Five and also the largest land animal in the world weighing up to 6 tones. It’s big so it has to eat lots; an adult elephant eats up to 375 lbs (170kg) of plant material a day. The distinguishing features include the dexterous trunk, large ears that cool the body when flapped, and elongated incisors in the form of tusks. Elephants are very communicative and sociable; They use a wide range of sounds to communicate with each other, sounds can be heard up to 6 miles (9.6 km) away.
Usually, a single calf is born after a gestation period of 22 months. Young elephants wean after 6 to 18 months, although they may continue nursing for over 5 years and this is also the time when their tusks start to grow. Male elephants leave their natal group at puberty and tend to form much more fluid alliances with other males. Elephants live up to around 70 years, with females mostly fertile between 25 and 45. Males need to reach 20 years of age in order to successfully compete for mating. Elephants live in a parade of up to 100.
African Lion (Panthera leo)

The Powerful and majestic king of the beasts live in groups called prides, which usually consist of related females and their cubs. Males defend the pride’s territory, which may include some 100 square miles (160sq.km) of grasslands, scrub, or open woodlands. These intimidating animals mark the area with urine, roar menacingly to warn intruders, and chase off animals that encroach on their sod. The Dominant males fight to maintain breeding rights. A good gauge of a male lion’s age is the darkness of his mane, the darker the mane, the older the lion. Female lions hunt more often than male lions and support each other in nurturing the cubs. A lion’s roar can be heard from as far as 5 miles (8km) away.
Affected by habitat loss and fragmentation, Illegal wildlife trade, Human wildlife conflict, Extractive; African lion populations are in decline. With only around 20,000 in the wild, they’re now officially classified as ‘vulnerable’.
The African Rhinoceros

There are two types of rhino in Africa: the black (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum). Their preferred habitat varies, from savannas to dense forests in tropical and subtropical regions. On an Africa Safari you might encounter a rhino and you might ask yourself:” Was it a black rhino or was it a white rhino” Rhinos are all grey. The biggest difference between the two species is the shape of their mouths.
Black rhinos have prehensile upper lip (therefore the alternative name of hook-lipped rhino), which it uses to feed on twigs of woody plants and a variety of herbaceous plants (Browser). White rhinos have a flat, wide lip to graze on grasses (Grazers). Since neither rhino is in actuality black or white it is believed that the name White Rhino is really a misinterpretation of what early Dutch settlers used to call it: the Wide Rhino (or wijd in dutch) and the use of the word black for the other species is just a matter of opposites. The black rhino is highly endangered and threatened by poachers. Their population is currently estimated to be below 3,000 animals throughout Africa. There are larger numbers of the white rhino about 20,000 animals although most of these are in South Africa.
Breeding occurs throughout the year. Males and females frequently fight during courtship, sometimes leading to serious wounds inflicted by their horns. After mating, the pair goes their separate ways. The gestation period is between 14 and 18 months, with an average interval of 2.5-3.5 years between calves. Black rhino calves begin to wean at about 2 months of age. Although they nurse for a year, calves are able to begin eating vegetation one week after birth.
- Did You Know? Rhino horns are made of keratin, the same substance that makes up human hair and fingernails.
African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus

Leopards are less rare in many of the African national parks than you might think, but being the most secretive and elusive of all big cats makes it very hard to spot one. Who knows, you might be lucky and witness one in a tree, tail flicking, observing his surroundings calmly. Leopards are solitary, independent animals, and rarely seen together except during mating, or a mother with cubs. They inhabit a range of habitat, from deserts and semi-desert regions of southern Africa to arid regions of North Africa to savanna grasslands of East and southern Africa to mountainous environments on Mt. Kenya to the rainforests of West and Central Africa.
There are nine subspecies and are distinguished by the unique characteristics of their coats, which range from light yellow in warm, dry habitats to reddish-orange in dense forests. Their coat is covered in dark, irregular spots called rosettes. In East Africa the leopard’s rosettes are more circular, but tend to be more square-shaped in southern Africa. They are nocturnal animals and hunt at dusk and dawn. It is a stalk and ambush predator, usually inching up to about a few meters from its potential prey before making a final swoop and delivering a fatal bite to the neck, paralyzing the prey. The pelage of this big cat ensures that they are camouflaged both from their predators and prey.
A female typically gives birth to a litter of two or three cubs. She abandons her nomadic lifestyle until the cubs are large enough to accompany her. She keeps them hidden for the first eight weeks and moves them from one location to the next until they are old enough to start learning to hunt. To identify a male from a female take a look at the difference in size, Males are usually much larger and stockier, and have significantly bigger head and paws compared to females. Male leopards can weigh up to 90kgs, with female around 60kgs.
Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)

There is only one species of buffalo in Africa, but two distinct subspecies exist: the large savanna buffalo and the much smaller forest buffalo. The forest subspecies is only found in Central and West Africa. The Cape buffalo is one of Africa’s most dangerous animals as it has killed more hunters than any other animal. Even a lion would not dare to attack a Cape buffalo without the help of his associates. Both male and female buffalo have heavy, ridged horns that grow straight out from the head or curve downward and then up. The horns are terrifying weapons against predators and are used for jostling for space within the herd; males use the horns in fights for dominance. Cape Buffalos live in large herds up to 1,000 animals and protect their calves by placing them in the middle of the herd. Cape Buffalos can’t go without daily drink water; you will find them near water holes, lakes and rivers.
Certainly, where you’ll find a Cape buffalo; you’ll find the Ox- Pecker. The Ox-Pecker is a bird who is the Cape Buffalo’s personal cleaner. The Ox-Pecker will sit on the Cape Buffalo’s back, gobbling up all the parasites and making the buffalo much more comfortable, while the Ox-Pecker gets a free meal. It’s a symbiotic relationship where everybody wins. Cape Buffalo are not in danger as it’s estimated that there are more than one million in Africa.
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