Discover Africa’s Big 5 animals.

The Big 5 African animals are all magnificent, but they differ greatly, so here are the Big 5 and their distinguishing characteristics:

• ELEPHANT (LOXODONTA AFRICANA)

  One of the Big 5 animal is Elephant, With a weight range between 2000 and 6000 kilos, they are the largest terrestrial mammal on the planet. This famous mammal has two recognized subspecies: the bush (or savanna) and the forest. The larger of the two, African bush elephants have curved tusks, but their darker, forest-dwelling counterparts have straighter, downward-pointing tusks.

• LION (PANTHERA LEO)

  The second-largest living big cat, behind the tiger, is the African Lion, which may weigh between 125 and 280 kg. The dense mane of brown or black hair that surrounds their heads and necks makes male cats stand out among other cat species. As a cat ages, its mane darkens, and the thicker and darker it is, the healthier it is. Both sexes roar, which can be heard up to 8 kilometers distant.

• RHINO

  The white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) and black rhino are the two rhinoceros species that may be found in Africa (Diceros bicornis). The Dutch term “weit,” which means wide, is the source of the name “white,” also known as the square-lipped rhino. It has a large face, a hump on its neck, and is actually gray in hue. The thick, gray hide of the black, or hooked-lipped, rhino is hairless. Every rhinoceros has two horns. A Black rhino weighs between one and five tonnes, while a White rhino weighs over two tonnes.

• LEOPARD (PANTHERA PARDUS) (PANTHERA PARDUS)

  These big predators, which range in weight from 17 to 65 kilograms, are robustly formed with long bodies, relatively short legs, and a broad skull. There are nine subspecies, each of which is identified by its distinct coat color, which can range from tawny or light yellow in warm, dry areas to reddish-orange in deep woods. Their coat is covered in rosettes, which are black, erratic patches. While they are square on southern African leopards, these spots are round on east African leopards.

• BLACK BUFFALO (SYNCERUS CAFFER)

  between 300 and 850 kilos in weight Forest buffalo, West African savanna buffalo, Central African buffalo, and southern savanna buffalo are the four separate subspecies of African buffalos (also known as the Cape buffalo). Savanna buffaloes are huge, hefty creatures that resemble cows. They differ widely in terms of color, horn shape, and size in addition to size. Adults are typically black or dark gray. Normal coloration for the smaller forest buffalo is red or light orange. The horns of both sexes are thick, ridged, and either grow straight from the skull or curve downward and up. Males utilize their horns in contests for territory in the herd because they are effective weapons against predators.