“Iconic animals” is the journal series to introduce animals that dwell in each continent of Earth. In each of the articles, you can get detailed information about wild animals that you may not be familiar with. The third series of Iconic Animals starts with Southern Africa!

If we look at the map of Southern Africa, one of the most famous places pop up in our minds: Safari. I am quite sure that we have all heard about this place. Endless plains, various types of plants from tall to short, and various landscapes offer animals suitable habitats to live.

In this article, we will discuss about 3 animals among the “Big 5s” of Safari. This term originates from the five animals that are difficult to hunt, usually referring to the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and African buffalo. These five mammals are considered as trophies to the Safari hunters. Among them, we will get to know about the most dangerous animals: lions, leopards, and cape buffalos.

1. Lion - the greatest predators

“The king of Safari”, “best hunter in the wild”, and “ greatest predator”, these nicknames are all pointing at one animal: the lions. The African lions (also called Panthera leo) are the world’s second largest animal in the cat family (following tiger). They usually live socially as a group, which is really rare for a cat species. Most of their activities are done in groups, including hunting. In the wild, the usual lifespans of lions are about 14 years; however, the lifespans of male lions are a little bit shorter than females. If you want to see lions in real life, the suggested places are national parks in Kenya and Botswana.

2. Leopard - the great hunters

The African leopards (also called Panthera pardus) are smaller than the lions, but they are also one of the high-class predators in Safari. Even though they are not good hunters as lions, it doesn’t mean that they don’t thrive in the environment of Southern Africa. In fact, they use their agile bodies as their best advantage. Their bodies are suitable to climb up trees fast and hunt preys really fast. The unique characteristic of leopards is the black spots on all of their bodies. Because of this, leopards are usually hunted by humans for their aesthetic leathers. Not surprisingly, they are listed on the IUCN Red List (the list that categorizes animals into levels of endangerment) as “Vulnerable”. If you want to meet wild leopards in Safari, I suggest you visit nature reserves in Botswana, Kenya, and South Africa. Go fast as you can, otherwise they might be extinct in the far future.

3. Cape Buffalo - the dangerous fighters

Buffalo (also called cape buffalo, or Syncerus caffer) is a water-friendly animal whose habitat is near rivers and lakes. They never live in an environment like the desert because they are heavy water drinkers that always have to be hydrated. Much to our surprise, they are known as the most dangerous animal in Africa. Their thick, sharp-edged horns are terribly dangerous, and most importantly, they are always not in a good mood. Their sensitive, mad characteristics are maximized when they are threatened by other species. Imagine that huge, heavily-built body with two deadly horns running furiously toward you. The only thing you can do is to escape at your highest speed, otherwise your life will end there. Sometimes it is hard to believe that they are the herbivores, because they are the animals that killed the most humans among Safari species. If you want to see buffaloes in spite of the danger, go to the national parks in Botswana and Zambia.

We had time to know more deeply about three of the big 5 animals living in Safari. I will come back with more diverse animals in the world.

Reference: https://www.tripsavvy.com/africas-big-five-safari-animals-1454083