The Big Five Animals: Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard and Rhino

The big five animals are those named by trophy hunters because they were dangerous and hard to hunt for. The big five animals in the wild include the Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Rhinoceros. The Big Five are examples of the types of animals among the charismatic megafauna, featuring outstandingly in popular culture and are among the most famous of Africa’s large animals.

The Big Five Game Animals include:-

Elephant

The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) are the largest existing land-based animals. Elephants are herbivores with almost hairless and thick skin; a long, flexible, prehensile trunk; upper incisors forming long, curved, ivory tusks and large, fan-shaped ears. Elephants are tough to hunt because, even with their large size, they are able to hide in dense bush and are more likely to charge than the other Big Five species. They become violent when their young are endangered.

Rhinoceros

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) are enormous herbivores with two upright horns on their nasal bridge. The black rhino is categorized as critically endangered and the white rhino as near vulnerable, and both are subject to wide-ranging poaching. Among the big-five game hunters, the black rhinoceros is more vastly prized. The existing rhinos all over the grassland are southern white rhinoceros, eastern black rhinoceros, south-western black rhinoceros and south-central black rhinoceros.

African buffalo

The African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large horned bovid. Among the Big Five, the buffalo is the only animal that is not on the list of endangered or threatened animal. The Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) is considered to be the most dangerous of any of the Big Five. Buffalos have purportedly been known to ambush and attack humans.

Lion

The lion (Panthera leo) is a big, flesh-eating feline found in both Africa and northwestern India. It has a short, yellowish-brown coat; a tufted tail; and, in the male, a heavy mane around the neck and shoulders. As a huge and enigmatic apex predator with cultural importance, lions are carnivores and among the most widespread species to view on safari tours.

Leopard

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a large, carnivorous catlike. Its hair is commonly orangey with dark rosette-shaped patterns. The leopard is the most rarely spotted of the Big Five because of its nighttime conducts. The leopard is most active between sunset and sunrise even though it may hunt during the day in some areas. The cat cautious of human beings and will take flight in the expression of threats. Leopards can be found in the grasslands, condensed brushes, deserts, and afforested areas of African savannahs.

Conservation of the Big Five Animals

The Big Five nimals have become main concerns for flora and fauna conservationists in contemporary times. The African lion and African leopard are both branded as vulnerable. The African savanna elephant is recorded as endangered by the IUCN as of 2021. The southern white rhinoceros and African buffalo are considered as near threatened while the black rhinoceros is characterized as critically endangered.