The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest and heaviest land animal in the world, weighing up to 6 tonnes, and eating massive amounts of food each day.Their distinguishing features include the dexterous trunk, large ears that cool the body when flapped, and elongated incisors in the form of tusks. There are actually two species of African elephant – the African bush elephant and the smaller African forest elephant. Both are herbivores that live in large groups, whilst the African bush elephant is the larger of the two species, and typically the species referred to as a member of the big five animals.
Weighing in at not too far short of a ton, the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) has a reputation for being bad-tempered and dangerous. Whilst a solitary African buffalo is one of the most unpredictable safari animals (and dangerous, hence their inclusion in the term big five animals), they are usually a docile beast when in a herd… aside from their tendency to stampede en masse when alarmed. Herds have clearly defined home ranges, the size of which is determined by the amount of food and water available.
Slightly smaller than their lion cousins, African leopards (Panthera pardus) are less rare than you might think, but rely on their animal camouflage and being active at night to stay hidden. Leopards are solitary, independent creatures, and rarely seen together except during mating, or a mother with cubs. As such they are totally self-reliant, and expert hunters – sometimes killing prey up to twice their size. During the daytime they often lounge around in trees and come to the ground after dark to hunt, taking their prey up into a tree to eat at their leisure.
The African lion is the largest and most sociable of Africa’s cats, and one of Africa’s most dangerous animals. At up to 225kg, the lion (Panthera leo) really is the king of the savanna (it’s not a jungle animal!). Living in prides of up to 40 lions, it’s the lionesses who do all the hunting, usually sharing with the males of a pride. Lions are very territorial, and the females generally spend most of their lives within their home ranges.
There are two species of rhinoceros in Africa – the critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum). Whilst white rhinos have made a comeback through conservation efforts across the continent, black rhinos are still very much one of Africa’s endangered animals. The fundamental differences between the white rhino and black rhino are not color, but rather size, temperament, food preference, and mouth shape. White rhinos have a flat, wide mouth, and their name comes from a mispronunciation of the Afrikaans word wide.