The Big Five animals in Africa: The word ‘Big Five’ is a common slogan and tourism marketing phrase that is used by the majority of tour operators in Africa. Most tourists visiting Africa on a wildlife safari usually embark on game drives to see any of the Big Five animals. In case you are wondering what the ‘Big Five’ animals in Africa are, this article should be able to explain it all in detail.
A safari in Africa is not complete without a tour of the Big Five animals. Visitors who wish to see the big five animals in the wild will have to embark on a guided game drive to any of the national parks in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Big Five animals in Africa consist of; the lion, the leopard, the African elephant, the rhino, and the Cape buffalo. The African continent has been rich and blessed with a wide variety of wildlife and animals, and it is no wonder that most tourists want to visit this lovely continent and explore its rich, beautiful, and vast savannah lands, wildlife, and diverse cultures. The Big Five animals live in the wild in most sub-Saharan African countries.
The word ‘Big Five’ was derived from big game hunters in Africa, who found great difficulty in hunting the animals on foot. Therefore, it goes without saying that, they are called the big five because they are the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot.
Visitors on a wildlife tour to any national park in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to see most of the Big Five animals while on a game drive. Most of the national parks in sub-Saharan African countries offer their visitors both morning and evening guided game drives; with the evening/night game drives offering tourists higher chances of seeing nocturnal animals such as lions, leopards, bush babies, serval cats and others.
The best places in Africa where visitors can see the Big Five animals in the wild include; South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Botswana and Rwanda. However, visitors might also see some of the big five animals on a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For those visitors with a lot of interest in the Big Five animals, here are a few notes that you might find interesting about each species of the Big Five;
The African Elephants: The African elephant is the biggest and the heaviest land animal in the world. The species can also be referred to by its scientific name ‘Loxodonta.’ The African elephant is a unique that comprises two species of elephants; the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant.
The African Rhino: Tourists visiting Africa can see both white and black rhinoceros on a safari. The African rhino is known for having a bad temper and easily charges at its opponent when it detects danger. It is for this precise reason that hunters in the past regarded the African rhino as a hard animal to hunt.
The African Cape Buffalo: The African Cape buffalo is listed as one of the Big Five because of the grave danger involved in hunting the species. These animals are known to have a bad temper, and easily charge at the slightest notice of danger. A male buffalo can weigh up to 1,000kg and females weigh up to 678kg.
The African Leopard: The African leopard is the shyest animal of all the Big Five animals in Africa. Visitors on a safari game drive may find it spot a leopard because it spends most of its time in isolation.
Lions: The best place for visitors to see lions in the wild is in Africa. Viewing lions in the wild marks the highlight of any wildlife safari and game drive in Africa. Most tour operators in Africa make it a priority that their guests get to see lions on a game drive.
Do get in touch with us for any inquiries that you may have about Africa’s Big Five, and don’t forget to contact us for the best offers on Big Five safaris.
