Big 5 and Little 5 of Africa
March 26, 2013 by Helen
Filed under Travel information
“Did you see all of the Big 5?” If you have ever been on safari in Africa (or even just in Africa) you probably will have been asked this question numerous times. Right? Let’s see how many of these questions we can answer about African animals one might see on safari.
Do you know which animals make up Africa’s “Big 5″?
The five are:
- African lion
- rhinoceros
- buffalo (not like North American buffalo, more like water buffalo),
- leopard
- African elephant
Why are they called the Big 5?
Bull elephant in Kruger National Park
Did you say “because they are the biggest animals”? Wrong.
Think about it. Sure elephants, rhinos, and buffalo are big but there are animals larger than the lion and leopard. So why are they called the Big 5? Well, the designation comes from big game hunters of long ago. If wounded, these 5 animals are the most dangerous…even capable of backtracking and lying in wait for the hunter.
Who are the “Little 5″?
These creatures do get their name from their size…
- antlion
- elephant shrew
- leopard tortoise (one we saw was little)
- redbilled buffalo weaver
- rhinoceros beetle
(Don’t you love how these names seem to match with the Big 5.)
What about “The Secretive 7″? Know them?
As the name implies these seven are secretive, mostly solitary animals who are night creatures. We were told that most visitors never see these animals as they usually stay undercover. We were privileged to spot one of them on a night safari at Sabi Sand Reserve.
The secretive 7 are…
Aside: It was the genet (a member of the mongoose family) that we saw. The little fellow scurried across the road and then slowly moved into the undergrowth.
Tourists must stay in the vehicle on a game drive
How you doing? Getting most of the questions right?
Next question…
Which animals are “The Ugly 5″?
- Warthog
- Hyena (Read about our encounter with a hyena early one morning)
- Maribou stork
- Vulture
- Wildebeest (Gnu)
How did you do? Know most of the answers?
So my final question…Have you seen any of the Big 5?
Touring Kruger National Park
Book a 3 day tour from Johannesburg
OR are you an independent type traveler? Then I suggest…
fly to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (at Nelspruit) and rent a car
-for more information about this airport click here.
Travel with us in South Africa...click here.
and/or
Travel the world with us...click here.
Happy travels!
