Africa’s Big Five
You’ve probably heard of the ‘big five’, the wildlife of the African savannah.They are large, powerful and strong animals that have become popular since the first safaris.
- In this Peritoanimal article.
- We’ll describe these five animals explaining a little bit what each one looks like and what you need to know if you plan to take a trip to get to know them in person.
Read on to meet and enjoy with us the big five of Africa and let yourself be amazed by the beauty that inspires the animal world.
The African elephant or African Loxodonta is certainly worthy of appearing as one of the big five in Africa due to its large dimensions, can reach up to 7 meters long and weigh up to 6 tons, a great record.
It lives in the African savannah and, unfortunately, its survival is threatened by trade in its prey.Today, although attempts are being made to combat poaching, elephant killings are still taking place in Africa.
Although its intelligence and emotional abilities make it a very sensitive and magnificent animal are well known, the truth is that the wild elephant is a very dangerous animal, because when it feels threatened, it can react with very sudden movements and deadly attacks.Human.
In the African savannah we find the buffalo or Syncerus caffer, one of the animals most feared by both other wild animals and humans, is organized in herds of several individuals and are gregarious, always in constant movement.
They are very brave animals that defend themselves without any fear, they are able to cause great agitation in the face of a threat.
For this reason, buffalo has always been a highly respected animal by indigenous peoples, residents and guides on African roads often wear necklaces that emit sounds that buffaloes identify as something to try to minimize the sense of risk for them.
The African leopard or Panthera pardus pardus is one of the most beautiful animals on the planet and, unfortunately, is critically endangered.
It can reach 190 centimeters and 90 kilograms in weight, giving them incredible strength, even successfully hunting young specimens of giraffes or antelopes.
This member of the Big Five of Africa is an animal that must be respected since it is active 24 hours a day and there is no chance of it escaping: it is able to climb, run and swim.
We have found two types of rhinos in the African savannah, the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) and the black rhino (Diceros bicornis), the latter critically endangered.Currently, hunting and trading rhino horns are prohibited, but as always, poachers are always on the lookout for this amazing big animal.
They are very large animals, which are up to two meters tall and weigh 1,500 kilograms.Although this member of Africa’s Big Five is a herbivore, he must be highly respected because an attack can be fatal to anyone.
The lion or Panthera leo is the animal with which the five great Africans close Without a doubt, we all know this great and powerful mammal that surprises us for its beauty and the long hours it spends sleeping every day.
It is the females who are engaged in the hunting of prey, whether zebras, wildebeest or wild boar, whatever is valid for this great predator, is also threatened as a vulnerable animal.
One detail that few people know is that the lion and hyenas are rivals who fight for hunting, and although it is generally thought that the hyena is a scavenger and opportunistic animal, the truth is that it is the lion that usually acts as an opportunist.stealing food from hyenas.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Curiosities section of the animal world.