Are you planning on seeing the ‘big five’ on your safari?

When you’re planning your safari holidays you will find that the term “big five” often crops up. The big five consist of a rhinoceros, leopard, elephant, buffalo and a lion; they are amongst the most dangerous animals, yet most popular for holiday makers and big game hunters. The “big five” were given their name because of their difficulty to hunt, not because of their size. I thought I would compile a few fun facts about the big five before you set off on your luxury safari.

Rhinos - did you know that there are five different types? There is a white rhino, black, javan, Indian and Sumatran, the black and white rhinos coming from Africa and the other three come from Asia.

The name originates from Greece, rhino (nose) and ceros meaning horn.

Rhinos don’t like to tan and look after their skin, which is why you will see them rolling around in mud on a sunny day. When you’re out on safari please mind your step! Rhinos can make a dung pile as high as three feet. Rhino’s are not as bad tempered as you might think, they only charge when they are scared or startled, the saying “it’s more afraid of you, than you are of it” springs to mind.

Elephants - almost everyone knows about elephants, they are without question one of the most famous land mammals in the world. Elephants are very respectful to other dead elephants and often spend time by the bones when passing to pay their respects. An elephant is the only mammal in the world which cannot jump and despite the size of its ears, elephants have fairly poor hearing too. But despite their size they are able to swim for long periods of time and can smell water from three miles away.

Lions - are the most social of the big cats, with having up to 40 lions in their pride (group of lions). It is the female lion which hunts for food whilst the male lion stays behind to protect the prides territory.

A lion’s roar can be heard from over five miles away, which is one very effective alarm clock for the surrounding animals.

Several studies have shown that the thicker the main on a lion the more scared the other lions are of them, in which case if Russell Brand was a lion he would be one of the most feared male lions in the wild.

Leopards – are a nocturnal predator and unlike other cats, a leopard is a pretty good swimmer and exceptional at climbing trees. A leopard will tend to carry their kill up to the tops of trees in order to prevent other animals from getting to their kill.

A leopard is a fairly lazy cat compared to a cheetah and a lion in respect that they don’t like to chase after their pray, they often stalk their pray and then strike when the moment presents itself.

Buffalo - is the most dangerous of the big five with having killed more game hunters than any other animal. They tend to be quite calm in big groups but when they are alone they become very nervous and highly unpredictable. They tend to have around 1500 in the pack, which means that they have to constantly move for good feeding grounds and watering holes, which often results in the strong surviving and the weak being picked off by predators along the way.

Mahlatini offer a wide range of luxury safari holidays, ranging from incredible destinations in Eastern and Southern Africa. Weather you’re planning on seeing the big five on safari or going on a gorilla trek, Mahlatini will find the perfect safari holiday for you.