The Big Five Mammals
Big Five is a name that is considered to be one of the most legendary phrases in the African safari culture. It is home to five of the most popular mammals on the continent, such as the African elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, and rhinoceros. The animals are a symbol of the African wilderness, which is the spirit of the animals, and tourists worldwide desire to see them in the wild. However, the history of the term Big Five is larger than tourism; it dates back to the era of big-game hunting.
This is all that you need to know about these amazing animals and why they still represent the wild nature of Africa.
History of the Use of the Term Big Five.
Big Five was actually a name coined by early trophy hunters during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was not the size of the animals that was mentioned, but the difficulty and danger of hunting them on foot. The African elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and rhinoceros were the animals that were regarded as the most difficult and dangerous to hunt because of their strength, unpredictability and aggressiveness when threatened.
Nowadays, the word has acquired a new meaning that is conservation-conscious. The Big Five mammals are no longer targeted but are being praised as the ultimate wildlife sighting destination for safari lovers. Seeing all five in one trip is regarded as one of the biggest successes by any safari-goer.
The African Elephant
The African elephant is the largest land mammal on the planet, with a weight of up to 6 tonnes and a shoulder height of approximately 3 metres. There exist two species: the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), the former being larger than the latter.
They are very social and intelligent animals and live in matriarchal groups with an old lady as their leader. They use deep rumbling noises and even the low-frequency vibrations which pass through the ground. Nevertheless, they are very kind giants, empathetic and close to their families.
The poaching of ivory and the destruction of habitat are threats that are very grave to the elephants. There are conservation reserves like Amboseli National Park (Kenya), Chobe National Park (Botswana) and Tsavo National Park, where tourists can view these great animals in their natural habitat, roaming freely.
The Lion – King of the Jungles.
The African lion (Panthera leo) is known as the King of the Jungle, and it is one of the most popular predators on Earth. Lions inhabit social groups known as prides, which include related females, their cubs and some dominant males. This is a social group that causes them to be unlike other big cats.
Males can be identified easily through their magnificent manes that are used as protection during fights, as well as a sign of dominance. Lions sleep a lot, with an average of 20 hours a day, and are most active during dawn and dusk when they are hunting.
Although they are associated with strength and boldness, lions are facing problems connected with the loss of habitats, human-wildlife interaction, and the decline of prey. Their dramatic hunts are likely to be seen in the best places they are: Serengeti National Park (Tanzania), Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya), and Kruger National Park (South Africa).
The Leopard
The leopard (Panthera pardus) is the most elusive among the members of the Big Five. And being graceful, powerful, and a furtive creature, it is an artful disguiser, and sleeps away the day, high in the branches of the trees. Leopards are nocturnal predators and feed on antelopes, monkeys and smaller mammals.
They possess such beautiful black rosettes on their golden coats, giving them one of the most photogenic looks of any animal in Africa. It is also a fact that leopards are incredibly strong creatures and can drag prey that is heavier than they are up trees, thus protecting their prey against predators such as hyenas.
Leopards are difficult to see; their nature is shy, and they cannot be easily seen as compared to lions or elephants. Nevertheless, it can be seen very well in parks like Sabi Sands (South Africa), Laikipia Plateau (Kenya) and Ruaha National Park (Tanzania).
The African Buffalo.
The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), or Cape buffalo, is one of the most unpredictable and dangerous species of animals in Africa. They also weigh up to 900 kilograms, and they are highly aggressive herbivores that travel in very large herds and may contain hundreds of them.
Buffaloes are defensive in nature. Threatened, they will rush in with astounding speed, and with their huge curved horns, they are a force to reckon with. Due to their power and violent nature, early hunters labelled them as Black Death.
Although buffaloes may be vicious creatures, they are significant to the savanna ecosystem because they eat and clear vegetation. They are usually found in Kruger National Park, Maasai Mara and Tsavo National Park, usually basking in mud or grazing in harmony along the rivers.
The Rhinoceros
The rhinoceros is the last of the Big Five mammals and is represented by two species of the African game, the black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum). As the name suggests, the two species are in fact grey. This word, ‘white’, as well as ‘black’, is a mistranslation of the Afrikaans word ‘wyd’, which means ‘wide’, with reference to the large mouth of the white rhino.
Rhinoceroses are heavy-bodied, thick-skinned herbivores with bad eyesight, good hearing and terrible smells. Poaching their horns, which falsely claim medicinal benefits to some people, threatens them critically since they are being poached.
In Kenya, South Africa, and Namibia, conservation programmes have played a critical role in the conservation of the rhino. Reservations such as Ol Pejeta Conservancy (Kenya) and Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park (South Africa) are on the frontline in helping to save this great animal species from the fate of extinction.
Conclusion
The Big Five mammals are not merely a blacklist of things that are seen by safari tourists, but are symbolic of the power, variety, and grandeur of the African wildlife. The animals, such as elephants, leopards and Lions, are emblems of the power and strength of nature, the wit of the former and the cunningness of the latter.
