The 5 largest animals in South Africa have been given a special name, “the big five” (the big five). This group of 5 animals consists of the: elephant, the rhino, the lion, the leopard and the buffalo.
Elephant
There are three types of elephants: the forest elephant, the African bush elephant (collectively referred to as the African elephants) and the Asian elephant. The elephant is the largest land animal in the world. At birth, an elephant weighs more than a hundred kilograms and when it reaches maturity it can weigh as much as six thousand kilograms and is almost four meters high. The elephant is so heavy that it has to sleep standing up and it cannot jump even the smallest obstacle. The elephant is a peaceful animal, but when it feels threatened, it does not hesitate to threaten its attacker. In doing so, he spreads his enormous ears, which makes him look very impressive, but also dangerous. Those ears are very special, because elephants sweat through their ears. To eat and drink they use their trunk, which ends in two movable “fingers”. Sometimes they also use their tusks when foraging for food. Those tusks are actually two very large sharp teeth and are made of ivory.
Rhino
The rhinoceros is the second largest animal living on land. Although it weighs 3,000 pounds, it can run as fast as a horse. It lives in family groups of three or four animals that move slowly across the savannah in search of grass. He cannot see very well, but he can hear and smell very well. The Asian rhinoceros has 1 horn and the African rhinoceros has 2. Those horns can grow up to five feet long. They are different from cow horns, they are made of the same material as our nails. The rhinoceros has almost been exterminated because of its horns, which are worth a lot of money. In Africa and Asia all kinds of objects and medicines are made from it, which are very popular. The rhinoceros has a thick skin that protects it, it is a kind of armor. The rhinoceros has nothing to fear from anyone except humans.
Lion
The lion is the only feline that lives and hunts in a group. The male, often referred to as “the king of the beasts”, stands out among the females of his pack with his beautiful mane. It can roar terribly loud to keep intruders out of its territory. You can hear that roar from a distance of 10 kilometers. Actually, lions are sloths that sleep and rest for nearly twenty hours a day. The boss of the troop is always a lioness. The lionesses are also the ones who hunt and take care of the little ones. The cubs are like little balls of wool and for the first three months they live alone with their mother, away from the rest of the pack. When they are three years old, the young males are chased away by the dominant male. Then they try to take the place of the dominant male of another pride of lions.
Leopard
The leopard is a real balance artist. This hardy feline spends most of its time in the trees, looking out over its territory that is sometimes up to a hundred square kilometers in size. When night falls, he leaves his tree to hunt. It prefers to eat gazelles and baboons. He has few enemies: only lions, hyenas and large baboons dare to attack him. And the man who hunts him for his fur. The leopard and panther are the same animal. There are leopards that are completely black, but there are also those that are almost completely white (snow leopard). When the female is ready to mate, she secretes a special urine to attract the males. Of course that leads to a battle where only 1 can win. Four months later, the female gives birth to 1 to 6 young. When they are 2 years old, the young leave their mother.
Buffalo
The buffalo is the largest hollow-horned animal in Africa. The male can weigh as much as 800 pounds. They live in herds of several hundred animals. Buffalo are mainly found in swampy areas. They like nothing better than to roll through the mud. The buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals. Its large curved horns are very impressive. In some large males they have a wingspan of over a meter. Plus, they don’t hesitate to use them, buffalo kill more hunters than any other wild animal in Africa. Man has never managed to tame buffalo, not even by crossing it with other cattle. Except for humans, the buffalo actually has no enemies. The female only gets 1 calf at a time. A buffalo lives on average 25 years.