If you are travelling to Africa, you must place at the top of your bucket list to see the formidable Big Five of Africa. These are the safari heavyweights, and are so highly-sought after that they even grace the banknotes of the South African currency.
But then why not? The Big Five are not the kind of animals you see wandering about.
The term, Big Five, originated centuries back and was coined by big game hunters who saw these five large African mammals as being the most dangerous to hunt, and therefore the most prized. Their reputations as crafty animals, with strong survival instincts made them lethal adversaries to hunters, difficult to track, and very dangerous when confronted. They are the rhinoceros, African elephant, lion, buffalo, and leopard.
Today, the name takes on a gentler form, and these majestic animals are protected, revered, and considered to be icons in Africa. Sightings of the Big Five are unforgettable experiences for travelers to Africa who travel far and wide, armed with cameras and not guns, to capture the magnificence of their presence in the wild.
While there are no guarantees that you will see all of the Big Five animals during a safari in Africa, there are some notable destinations and private reserves that contain larger populations and offer some dramatic sighting opportunities. Some of these destinations include the world-renowned Kruger National Park in South Africa, Chobe National Park in Botswana, Kenya’s Masai Mara, and the Serengeti in Tanzania.
