See Africa's Big Five (Big 5) in the Wild

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The phrase Big Five Game was coined by big game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot. Subsequently the term was adopted by Safari tour operators for marketing purposes. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife safaris. The collection consists of the lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. The members of the Big Five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved, rather than their size. The lion and African bush elephant are classified as Endangered. The leopard and white rhinoceros are classified as Vulnerable and near threatened. The black rhinoceros is classified as critically endangered so cannot be hunted and so is not available at all. The African buffalo is the most popular Big Five to hunt, as its conservation status is least concern. Countries where all the members of the Big Five can be found include Namibia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to recent studies, it is difficult to spot the rhinoceros in Botswana. 1) The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is a very large herbivore having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and large, fan-shaped ears. There are two distinct species of African elephant: African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). The elephants are difficult because despite their large size, they are able to hide in tall grass and are more likely to charge than the other species. The best parks to see elephants include: Chobe River, Botswana Amboseli National Park, Kenya Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa Okavango Delta, Botswana Tarangire National Park, Tanzania South Luangwa National Park, Zambia 2) The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a large, thick-skinned herbivore having one or two upright horns on the nasal bridge. Rhinoceros may refer to either black or white rhinoceros. Among Big Five game hunters, the black rhinoceros is preferred, although it is now critically endangered. The best parks to see rhinos include: Etosha National Park, Namibia Kruger National Park, South Africa Damaraland, Namibia Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch, Uganda Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya 3) The African or Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large horned bovid. Buffalo are sometimes reported to kill more people in Africa than any other animal, although the same claim is also made of hippos and crocodiles. It is considered the most dangerous of the Big Five, reportedly causing the most hunter deaths, with wounded animals reported to ambush and attack pursuers. The best parks to see buffalos include: Chobe National Park, Botswana Kruger National Park, South Africa Katavi National Park, Tanzania The Okavango Delta, Botswana Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa 4) The lion (Panthera leo) is a large carnivorous feline of Africa and northwest India, having a short, tawny coat, a tufted tail, and, in the male, a heavy mane around the neck and shoulders. Lions are desirable to hunters because of the very real danger involved. A lion may attack without provocation, and is considered by many to be the best of the Big Five. The best parks to see lions include: The Maasai Mara, Kenya Luangwa Valley, Zambia Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Kruger National Park, South Africa Okavango Delta, Botswana Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda Etosha National Park, Namibia 5) The leopard (Panthera pardus) is a large, carnivorous feline having either tawny fur with dark rosette-like markings or black fur. Of the Big Five, it is most difficult to acquire hunting licenses for leopards. The leopard is sometimes considered the most difficult of the Big Five to hunt because of their nocturnal and secretive nature. They are wary of humans and will take flight in the face of danger. The leopard is solitary by nature, and is most active between sunset and sunrise, although it may hunt during the day in some areas. Leopards can be found in the savanna grasslands, brush land and forested areas in Africa. The best parks to see leopards include: Kruger National Park, South Africa Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana Masai Mara, Kenya Serengeti National Park, Tanzania Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi

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