1cocoparisienne/Pixabay
Africa is home to some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. Just like that classic opening shot in “The Lion King”, that land is filled with some of the most stunning animals on earth.
The Big Five is a term created to represent the top 5 African animals that are the most difficult to hunt on foot due to their size, speed, elusiveness, and aggressiveness. The term “Big 5” is used by wildlife and safari guides as well. Here is a look at these beautiful creatures.
*This isn’t a post supporting the hunting of these beautiful beasts, but rather a look at how amazing they are.
2Free Stock Photos
African elephant
Standing at approximately 10.5–13.1 ft tall and weighing in at approximately 10,362–13,334 lbs, this stunning creature is one massive beast. However, despite being so large and intimidating, this animal is an herbivore. Both male and female African Elephants have tusks and 24 teeth. They’re highly intelligent, and can also be incredibly aggressive if threatened. They have a life span of 60-70 years and are at their most fertile between the ages of 25 and 45.
3Harald Zimmer/Wikipedia
Black rhinoceros
Standing at approximately 5 foot 9 tall, 9.8–12.3 ft long, and weighing in at about 1,760 to 3,090 lbs, the Black Rhino is a species that is, overall, classified as critically endangered. Despite looking like an absolute unit, these guys are herbivores, typically munching on branches, leafy plants, shoots, and fruit. These animals are very solitary in nature, and they prefer to use unique scents to identify themselves to others. Their lifespan is about 35-50 years. Their horns are typically between 22 and 55 inches in length!
4IanZA/Pixabay
African Buffalo
Otherwise known as the Cape Buffalo, this beast ranges from 3.3 to 5.6 ft tall, 5.6 to 11.2 ft long, and 1,100 to 2,200 lbs in weight. They prefer to roam in big herds, and are really quite social. Like the other animals on this list, these guys are herbivores. They are also incredibly aggressive towards humans, and are responsible for about 200 kills a year. Their lifespan is approximately 20 years.
5Free-Photos/Pixabay
African Lion
The African Lion is perhaps the most iconic of the big five and weighs in at about 330 to 550 lbs. Lions prefer to stay in packs or “prides” and are meat eaters. Their diets typically consist of things like zebras, buffalo, gemsbok, giraffe, and blue wildebeests. Despite being apex predators, lions will only live for 10-14 years in the wild. They are massive beasts, but, they’re still cats, and they communicate with each other in similar ways to house cats: licks, purring, pawing, and rolling around. Awesome.
6Max-Pixel
African Leopard
Agile, elusive, and nocturnal in nature, this beautiful beast is between 35 and 75 inches long, 24–28 inches tall, and 82–198 lbs in weight. These guys are very weary of humans and will typically run from any potential confrontations. However, when they are hunting for prey (Impala, Thomson’s gazelle, duiker, steenbok, bushbuck, warthog, etc) they are incredibly fast and smart. They have heightened senses for hunting with ease and accuracy. In the wild, the lifespan of an African Leopard is about 12-17 years.
7GIF
Have you ever been on an African Safari? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear about it!
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