Big 5

Besides the Big 5

The lion, rhino, elephant, leopard and African buffalo make up the Big 5 and are incredible mammals to see on safari. But there are many other magnificent mammals in Africa besides the Big 5, which are just as astounding to see.

1. Hippo

The hippo is a large, herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa. Its name comes from the ancient Greek for “river horse”. After the elephant and rhino, the hippo is the third-largest land mammal. Their closest living relatives are cetaceans like whales and porpoises.

Hippos are very fast, even though they are big and stocky, and can easily outrun a human. The hippo is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and teeth.

They are semi-aquatic creatures and live in rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps. They remain cool in the day-time by staying in the water or mud. They come out of the water to feed, after the sun has set.

2. Zebra

Zebras are distinguished by their beautiful black and white markings, and each zebra has a unique pattern, just like human fingerprints. These animals live in herds, grazing together and grooming one another.

There are three types of zebras: the Plains, or Burchell’s, zebra; the Grévy’s zebra and the mountain zebra. Lions and hyenas are their main predators and zebras must stay alert in order to protect one another.

3. Giraffe

The giraffe is the tallest land animals in the world. Its scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis, refers to its camel-like appearance and the patches on its coat. The giraffe’s closest living relative is the okapi. There are nine subspecies of giraffes and they are distinguished by their coat patterns.

The giraffe’s range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. They live in savannahs, grasslands and open woodlands. Their main food source is acacia leaves and their main predators are lions, although their calves are also targeted by leopards, spotted hyenas and painted dogs.

4. Cheetah

The cheetah is the world’s fastest living land mammal. They can reach speeds of up to 120km/h and accelerate to 70km/h in mere seconds. They have very good eyesight, which they use to scan their surroundings for prey. They hunt during the day and have a spotted coat which helps them blend into their environment.

Female cheetahs are solitary and males live in groups known as coalitions. They come together to mate and the female usually has a litter of three to four cubs. The young cheetahs will stay with their mother for about 18 months before striking out on their own.

There are less than 10 000 cheetahs left in the wild in eastern and south-western Africa. They have been listed a vulnerable of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their cousins, the Asiatic cheetahs, are only found in Iran. They are critically endangered and there are less than 100 of them left.

5. Eland

The common eland is the second-biggest antelope in Africa (the giant eland taking first place) and is found in East and Southern Africa. They are herbivorous and feed mainly on grasses and leaves.

Common eland herds are usually made up of about 500 of these antelope, but they are not territorial. They prefer habitats with a great variety of flowering plants such as found in savannahs, woodlands and grasslands.

They can be found in various African counties including Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

6. Gemsbok

The gemsbok is a large antelope also known as an Oryx. Their ringed horns are up to 76 cm long and make daunting weapons against predators, which include cheetahs, lions, spotted hyenas and humans. The female’s horns are often longer and thinner than the male’s.

They are native to the arid regions of southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert. This antelope is well-adapted to its hot, dry habitats and can live up to 20 years. They are gregarious and live in herds of 50 to 200 antelope.

Gemsbok are herbivores and their diet consists of coarse grasses and thorny shrubs, as well as thick-leaved plants, wild melons, roots and tubers found in desert areas. They can survive days, and sometimes weeks, without water. This is partly due to the plants they eat which have adapted to the hot and dry conditions by storing water or having adaptations to prevent excess loss. A lot of males remain solitary and defend a territory.

7. Wildebeest

Wildebeest means “wild beast” in Afrikaans. This animal was given this name due to its fierce appearance, but it is actually a prime source of food for lions, cheetahs, painted dogs and hyenas.

It is also known as a gnu. It is part of the antelope family. Their habitat consists mostly of grassy plains and open woodlands in central, southern and eastern Africa, especially in the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya.

Wildebeest move in large herds and are active day and night, grazing constantly. Their incredible northward migration in search of greener pastures is determined by weather patterns, but typically takes place in May or June. At this time up to 1.5 million wildebeest, as well as countless other animals, move north. These migrations usually include zebra and various antelope, as well as predators that follow their prey.

8. Hyena

There are four species of hyena living today: the spotted, brown and striped hyena and the aardwolf. These carnivores are integral to most African and some Asian ecosystems.

Hyenas eat food quickly and may store it too. They have calloused feet with non-retractable nails which have been adapted for running and making sharp turns. Hyenas are generally nocturnal, but may wander from their lairs in the early hours of the morning. With the exception of the very social spotted hyena, these animals are generally not gregarious, but may live in family groups and congregate during kills.

9. Painted Dog

The African wild dog is also known as the Cape hunting dog or painted dog. It is found in the open plains and sparse woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. Their Latin name means “painted wolf” and refers to their mottled coat.

Painted dogs live in packs, typically dominated by a monogamous breeding pair. Females have litters of 2 to 20 pups, which are looked after by the entire pack. They are very social, and share food and assist weak or ill members. The dogs communicate by touch, actions and vocalisations.

Packs hunt antelope and also tackle larger prey, like wildebeest. They supplement their diet with rodents and birds. They have been listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, conflict with humans and susceptibility to diseases spread by livestock.

10. Gorilla

Gorillas are ground-dwelling and primarily herbivorous apes. They live in the tropical and subtropical forests of central Africa. They are divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and four or five subspecies. A gorilla’s DNA is very similar to that of humans. They share 95–99{06d929bd3ad4c6a95bf55e898d2636034900819a69887101e766a047db33ac60} of our DNA and are the closest living relatives to humans after chimpanzees.

Their range covers a small percentage of Africa, but they cover a wide range of elevations. The mountain gorilla lives in the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes. The lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes; while western lowland gorillas are found in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas live in the Democratic Republic of Congo near the border with Rwanda.

Originally published on Safari Big 5

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