Whats impressive about going on safari to Kenya is that in the Masai Mara the “Big Five” all exist in the same park. The name Big Five was originally coined by hunters because these animals were supposed to be the hardest game to hunt and find.

The proud pride owner the Lion. The Lion is but only the second largest of the Big Cats, but Tigers aren’t present in the Mara. Lions in general are keystone predators which means they hunt and take down their own food, rather than scavenge, although if the opportunity arises they will take it. The lion has been known to become a man-eater and have been reported in some cases to actually stalk Humans as prey.

The ever majestic African Elephant. The elephant is the biggest of these big five and this is clear when you hear it weighs on average 5 and half tonnes, and stands at about 12 and a half feet tall. When you see an elephant its quite easy to accept its large, but when you think even it’s 4 teeth are each twelve inches long and weigh 5 kilograms, it’s a lot more to take in. One of the amazing things about the elephant is that the tusks can grow up to 2 and a half metres long.

Then there is the Cape buffalo. Prey to the Lion you would think that this buffalo would be quite scared and timid, but it’s quite the opposite some buffalo have been known to kill Lions that attack them. The Cape buffalo is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Mara; it is a very short temper and is reported to have killed about 200 people every year.

The Black Rhinoceros. The Black Rhino has not been all that well named, unfortunately it was due to the name of the White Rhino that the so called “Black Rhino” received it’s own. In fact the names Black and White Rhino are so strange because the Rhino’s are almost completely indistinguishable by their skin colour. The White Rhino was actually a mistranslation from the Dutch word “Weit”. The literal meaning of this word actually means Wide, this was because the White Rhino had a square like structure to it’s lip, but the Black Rhino had a pointed lip.

Finally the Leopard. This is the smallest of the Big Cats, but is by no means the slowest. The Leopard is not really noticed for the fact that it can reach a massive 36 mph on the ground, and that it can jump up to 3 metres vertically into the air. The Leopard is also a very powerful climber and a supreme swimmer.

So if you would like to go and see the Big Five then why not try Kenya holidays, Tanzania holidays or Zambia holidays. You will find them around these key locations.

Related posts:

1. The Deadliest Animals in Africa
2. Where To Go For Lion Safari
3. Are Safari holidays better than your average beach holiday?

Comments are closed.