“Big Five ” is a term that is becoming increasingly well-known among safari and animal lovers; however, it has a rather unfortunate origin, which even today remains a significant problem for African animals. The term ” Big Five,” in fact, is used in Africa to refer to the five largest animals on the African continent. The term “Big 5” refers not only to the size and dimensions of the animals, but also to the difficulty of hunting and killing them.
This is a term that is used more and more often, especially by those who organize safaris in African parks, in countries such as Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Let’s explore the origin of the term “Big Five” and which animals belong to this group.
Origin of the term “Big Five
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The term “Big Five” first came into use in South Africa, primarily in South African parks where settlers went hunting. The term actually derives from a grim custom known as the “Big Five Game,” or the game of the five great—or large—animals. In reality, this was anything but a game.
The Big Five Game was a sort of competition—a contest and personal challenge among hunters—who vied to see who could kill all of Africa’s most dangerous animals and then decorate their homes with their hunting trophies. The Big Five Game was a source of great pride, and many people traveled to South Africa—where these animals were abundant—to try to kill them.
Originally coined in the parks of South Africa, where it was easier to spot animals, the term spread throughout Africa, mainly to the parks of Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.
Big Seven
Some time after the term “Big Five” became established, the term “Big Seven” also emerged, expanding the list of the largest and most difficult animals to hunt to include the whale and the great white shark. There is only one place in the world where all seven of these animals can be found, and it is one of the parks where it all began: South Africa. The reserve is called Addo Elephant National Park, one of South Africa’s largest parks.
Quali sono i Big Five animali
Gli animali del big five sono l’elefante, il leone, il leopardo, il bufalo et il rinoceronte nero . This is one of the most important animal characteristics of African wildlife , but one of the most important reasons for visiting visitors on a long safari in Tanzania and all of Africa.
Elefante
The first animal on the list is, of course,the African elephant, or Loxodonta africana, the world’s largest land mammal. This magnificent animal, known for its enormous size—reaching up to 6–6.5 m in length and a height at the withers of about 3.2 – 3.5 m at the withers, and a weight ranging from 3,800 to 5,100 kg, has been one of the most heavily hunted animals, and even today many poachers seek to kill them to obtain the ivory from their tusks, a material of great value.
Leone
The King of the Savannah—the African lion—certainly couldn’t be left out of the Big Five. This species of Panthera leo is known by many different names, such as the African lion, the Masai lion (named after the Masai people), and the East African lion, and is the most majestic cat in all of Africa, as well as the second-largest cat by size, after the tiger. The African lion is larger than its Asian cousin and can reach a shoulder height of as much as 120 cm, with a body length of up to 3 meters.
In the savanna, lions are known to be the most dangerous predators; they feed on zebras, antelopes, wildebeests, and buffalo.
Leopardo
Right after the lion, we certainly couldn’t leave out the leopard, a top predator that—despite its very light weight of just 60 kg—is capable of striking fear into most African animals. The leopard is known for its spotted coat, which can also appear as a completely black coat.
Leopards with black coats are known as panthers, which—contrary to popular belief—are not a separate species but the same one.
Bufalo
The black buffalo is known by many other names, such as Cape buffalo, African buffalo, or Cafro, and is one of the few animals in the world capable of defending itself even against lions, the most dangerous predators of the savanna. The Cape buffalo is one of the largest bovids in the world and boasts indescribable strength and powerful horns, which can drive away even the most aggressive predators.
Black Rhinoceros
The last of the Big Five is the black rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, the most dangerous and violent animal there is. The Big Five Game involved hunting and killing black rhinos, but this proved to be quite difficult because the white and black species differ only by subtle details.
The rhinoceros has been one of the animals most affected by hunting, and its population has declined dramatically. For this very reason, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the rhinoceros as a critically endangered species, at serious risk of extinction.
