Elephant Artwork by Amareza Buys

Elephant, one of the Big 5

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African Elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while the Asian Elephant is classed as endangered.

When on Safari in South Africa or IMG_2721the Kruger National Park, tourists will be awed by these majestic animals, which is one of the Big 5.

Widely recognized as the most impressive animal in Africa Wildlife, the African Elephant measures between 3.2 and 4 meters at the shoulder and weigh an average of 6.5 tons. The elephant’s trunk serves as a multipurpose tool for eating, cleaning, signalling, drinking water, digging, dusting and even as an extra limb when needed. Capable of reaching up to 7 meters in length, the elephant’s trunk is a strong muscle that has the ability to twist tightly around objects and is mostly used for tearing wood from trees or when fighting. Elephants are herbivorous, can be found in savannahs, forests, deserts and marshes and dedicate their energies to pushing over trees to eat. Elephants usually eat around 270-300kgs of food every day. They prefer to stay near water. Other animals tend to keep their distance, predators such as lions, tigers, hyenas and wild dogs usually target only the young elephants. Females tend to live in family groups, which can consist of one female with her calves or several related females with offspring. The groups are led by an individual known as the matriarch, often the oldest female. Males leave their family groups when they reach puberty, and interact with family groups when looking for a mate and enter a state of increased testosterone and aggression known as musth, which helps them gain dominance and reproductive success. Calves are the center of attention in their family groups and rely on their mothers for as long as three years. Elephants can live up to 70 years in the wild. They communicate by touch, sight, smell and sound; Elephants use infra-sound and seismic communication over long distances. They appear to have self-awareness and show empathy for dying or dead individuals of their kind.

(Reference: www.southafrica.com)

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Zebra Most Popular to People

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Zebra Painting by Amareza Buys

Zebra Painting by Amareza Buys

According to NationalGeographic.Com, there are two species of Zebra in Southern Africa, the Plains (or Burchell’s) Zebra and the Mountain Zebra. Visitors on safari in South Africa will find the latter, yet, there are three species throughout Africa. As the names suggest they occur in vastly differing habitats, although they are known to occur together in places where plains and mountains overlap. Grevy’s Zebra is the third specimen and found in East Africa which is the sole species of subgenus Dolichohippus. The latter resembles an ass, to which it is closely related, while the former two are more horse-like. All three belong to the genus Equus, along with other living equids (horse family). Burchell’s Zebras are the most common species. They live in small family groups consisting of a male (stallion), several females, and they’re young. Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

Zebras must be constantly wary of lions and hyenas. A herd has many eyes that are alert to danger. If an animal is attacked, its family will come to its defence, circling the wounded zebra and attempting to drive off predators. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. The skin may discourage insects that recognize only large areas of single-coloured fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and donkeys, Zebras have never been truly domesticated.

No animal has a more decorative coat than the Zebra with its distinctive black and white striped coats. The unique stripes of Zebras make them one of the animals most familiar to people. Each animal’s stripes are as unique as fingerprints; no two are exactly alike, although each of the three species has its own general pattern.

Scientists are not sure why Zebras have stripes, but many theories centre around the fact of a form of camouflage. Traditional tribes attribute it to a story of a baboon and a Zebra that fought and within the fury of the disagreement the white only Zebra fell into the fire, burning the stripes. It could also be that the unique stripes may also help Zebras recognize one another.

Various human factors had an influence on the existence of Zebras specifically, hunting for skins and habitat destruction. Grévy’s Zebra and the Mountain Zebra are endangered. Thus, conservationists focus on the Zebra not to go extinct. While Plains Zebras are plentiful, one subspecies, the Quagga, became extinct in the late 19th century.

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Leopard one of the Big 5

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A Painting in Mixed Media by Amareza Buys

A Painting in Mixed Media by Amareza Buys

The South African Leopards (Panthera Pardus) exhibit an astonishing variation in coat colours. The coat varies from pale yellow to deep gold and sometimes black. Male leopards are larger, averaging from 60 kg to 91 kg, while the females weigh about 35 to 40 kg.

Sunset and sunrise are the preferred time to kill prey. In Kruger National Park, male leopards and female leopards with cubs are more active at night as compared with solitary females. The known prey of leopards ranges from dung beetles to adult elands of up to 900 kg. At least 92 prey species have been documented in their diet including rodents, birds, small and large antelopes, hyraxes and hares, and arthropods. like to stalk close and run a relatively short distance after their prey. They kill through suffocation by grabbing their prey by the throat and biting down with their powerful jaws. They rarely fight other predators for their food. Leopards often take large kills into a tree. Most notable is that for this activity great strength is required.

LIST OF REFERENCES:

(Marker L.L., Dickman A.J. 2005; Martins, Q.; Martins, N. 2006; Nowell, K., Jackson, P. 1996; Martin, R. B. and de Meulenaer, T. 1988; Cuzin, F. 2003; Hamilton, P.H. 1976; Bailey, T. N. 1993; Bertram, B. 1974; Jenny, D. 1993; Ray, J. C., Hunter, L., Zigouris, J. Spong, G., Johansson, M., Bjorklund, M. 2000; Henschel, P., Hunter, L. T. B., Coad, L., Abernethy, K. A., Mühlenberg, M. 2011).

Big 5 Attraction

Big 5 Attraction and Conservation

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The big five are among the most dangerous and was the most popular or attractive species for big game hunters to hunt on foot. Traditionally, these animals were hunted or shot and the hunter would have been very proud because it was very difficult to hunt these 5 animals, sometimes the hunters were killed in the process. The reason being that when these animals were shot or wounded, they would charge, thus making them the ultimate trophies.

The Big 5 are supreme and one should note that they are prime targets for wildlife conservationists. The African Lion and the African Bush Elephant are both classified as vulnerable. The African Leopard and the White Rhinoceros are both classified as near threatened. The Black Rhinoceros is classified as critically endangered so they cannot be hunted at all. The African Cape Buffalo is the most popular Big 5 game animal to hunt, as its conservation status is least concern, but it is experiencing a population decline.

Today, luckily these animals are shot with the camera for their beauty a majestic superiority.

Private luxury lodges around the Kruger National Park offer visitors close contact sightings with Elephant, Lion, Rhino, Buffalo, Cheetah, Giraffe, Zebra and a vast variety of antelope and other species. All the Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion) are found at Kruger National Park. In addition, the Kruger Park has more species of large mammals than any other African Game Reserve (at 147 species).

Most importantly, although the Big 5 are extremely breathtakingly unforgettable, there are so many other awesome animals (big and minute) within South Africa to be spotted when on a Safari, also do not forget the rest of African Wildlife as well as the flora.

Visit South Africa

Visit South Africa

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According to South African Tourism Head Office as on their site, www.southafrica.net, there are 10 reasons why people should visit South Africa. Kruger Park Tours would like to list 5, namely:

  • The breathtaking natural beauty of South Africa which is not only in the Wildlife but also the flowers, trees, bushes, sunsets, mountains, grass planes, reptiles, birds, insects, sounds, water, clouds, camp fires, rich cuisine, etc.
  • In one country one can Adventure with a Safari to the Big 5, seashores, mountains while being safe but in the true spirit of all the big explorers of the world.
  • The diversity of people in South Africa will astonish any visitor due to the rich culture inherent in each of the many ethnic groups in South Africa, making it the best diversity in people experience.
  • Within the natural surroundings of the African Wildlife one will find the Elephant, Lion, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhino, but not only that thousands of mammals, birds, carnivores, etc.
  • While enjoying all of the above 4 above-mentioned, one is spoiled and pampered within luxury world class facilities, such as lodges, tents, grass roofed houses, bungalows, hotels, etc.