Spot the Big Five in South Africa
A holiday in South Africa isn’t complete without spotting the Big Five. The country has many parks where the 5 largest animals of South Africa can be seen. The most famous park is the Kruger Park in the northeast of the country. Join a safari and spot the big five and the many other beautiful animals that live in the wild. ‘The Big Five’ consists of the buffalo, lion, elephant, leopard and the rhino.
1. The Buffalo
The buffalo is the most dangerous animal of the Big Five. You would expect the lion or the leopard to be the most dangerous, but that’s not true. The buffalo is very unpredictable. The buffalo is a robust animal and wonderful to see. The horns of the buffalo are impressive and the penetrating gaze that the buffalo can give you is frightening. This animal deserves a certain respect. If you see one buffalo, there are more. The buffalo is very social and lives in large herds.
2. The Lion
The lion is for many people the most popular one of the Big Five. The lion has the nickname ‘The King of the Animals’. Like the buffalo, the lion also lives in a herd. If you want to spot the lion, you have the best changes while you’re on the savanna or nearby grass plains. Also take a good look at the shady spots, after eating lions seek the coolness to rest.
3. The Elephant
The African elephant is the largest animal that lives on land in the world and can weigh up to 7 thousand kilograms. The elephant is immensely large and has gigantic tusks. Fortunately elephants in South Africa are quite common and the chance to spot them is very good.
4. The Leopard
It’s very difficult to spot a leopard in the wild. The leopard is pretty shy and can hide very well. The spotted skin of the leopard is very beautiful and the smooth feline way in which the leopard moves might be even more beautiful.
5. The Rhino
In South Africa you can see two species of rhinos. The black and the white rhino. They’re not really black and white. Both types are gray/brown colored. The difference is mainly in the shape of the mouth. The rhino is the most endangered species and is about to die out. Fortunately, there are a number of reserves in Africa that take care of these amazing animals.
My tip for spotting the Big Five; take a rental car and drive into the Kruger Park yourself. Also stay away from the main roads. Take the time to take all the small roads and enjoy the beautiful nature!
Want to read more about South Africa? Then read the blog Panorama Route South Africa.
EXTRA: my video from the Safari of South Africa:
