The term ‘Little Five’ was brought to life in Southern Africa by Nature Conservationists in an effort to encourage visitors to acknowledge the small – less noticed – but still enigmatic animals of the bushveld.
In Africa, the Little Five Game animals are:
Elephant Shrew
A small, insect-eating mammal with a long nose. Elephant Shrews are very common in Southern Africa but seldom seen.
Buffalo Weaver
The Buffalo Weaver – a bird which feeds on seeds and insects. The easiest among the Little Five to find and observe.
Leopard Tortoise
A large attractive specimen with yellow and black patterns on its back that can live over 100 years. Commonly found at Sibuya Game Reserve.
Antlion
An insect named for the predatory nature of the larva. Found world-wide.
Rhinoceros Beetle
Belonging to the Scarab beetle family – including Dung Beetles. (Our video is of the fascinating Plum Dung Beetle – a relative of the Rhino Beetle).
Watch, the Dungbeetle hard at work!:
