In Africa, the Big 5 Game animals are the Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros (both Black and White species), Elephant and Cape Buffalo.
Lion
Leopard (credit, Haplochromis)
Rhinoceros
Elephant
Cape Buffalo
The term ‘Big 5’ was originally coined by big game hunters and refers to the five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot, rather than their size.
Subsequently the term was adopted by safari tour operators for marketing purposes. It is used by most tourist and wildlife Guides when discussing African wildlife safaris.
The 1990 and later releases of Southern African rand banknotes feature a different Big 5 animal on each denomination.
The ‘Big 5’ can be found in the Eastern Cape at various places, including Sibuya Game Reserve.
