The Big Five and Beyond
Africa's savannas and grasslands are home to an incredible diversity of large mammals, birds, and reptiles. The "Big Five" — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros — are the most famous, but there are thousands more amazing species to discover!
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Lion
King of the Savanna
- Live in family groups called prides — the only truly social wild cat
- Females do most of the hunting while males protect the pride's territory
- A lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away and serves as a territorial warning
🐘
Elephant
Largest Land Animal
- The largest land animal on Earth — African elephants can weigh up to 13,000 pounds
- Have been observed mourning their dead and returning to the bones of deceased family members
- Communicate through low-frequency rumbles that travel through the ground up to 6 miles
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Giraffe
Tallest Animal
- The tallest animal on Earth — up to 18 feet tall with a 6-foot neck
- Their heart weighs 25 pounds and must pump blood 8 feet up to reach their brain
- Sleep only about 30 minutes per day — the least of any mammal
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Zebra
Stripe Identifier
- Every zebra's stripe pattern is completely unique — like a fingerprint
- Live in large herds for protection — confusing predators with a mass of stripes
- Have excellent night vision, helping them watch for predators in the dark
🐆
Cheetah
Fastest Land Animal
- Can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3 seconds — faster than most sports cars
- Unlike other big cats, cheetahs cannot roar — they purr, chirp, and yelp instead
- Black tear-mark lines below their eyes reduce sun glare during daytime hunts
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Rhinoceros
Armored Giant
- Their horn is made of keratin — the same material as human hair and fingernails
- Have very poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell and hearing
- Leave piles of dung at territory boundaries to communicate with other rhinos
🦛
Hippopotamus
River Horse
- Spend up to 16 hours a day submerged in water to keep cool in the African heat
- Despite their size, hippos cannot actually swim — they walk on the riverbed
- Secrete a reddish oily fluid from their skin that acts as a natural sunscreen and antibiotic
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Meerkat
Desert Sentinel
- Immune to certain venoms, including that of scorpions — a regular part of their diet
- Groups take turns as a lookout, standing upright on a high point to watch for predators
- Live in complex underground burrow systems with multiple rooms and entrances
🌍 The Great Migration
Every year, over 1.5 million wildebeest travel 1,800 miles in a giant circle across the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Masai Mara in Kenya. They follow the rains in search of fresh grass, crossing crocodile-filled rivers along the way. It is considered one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth.
Safari Animal Facts
5 miles
The distance a lion's roar can travel — used to mark territory and communicate with the pride
13,000 lb
Maximum weight of an African elephant — the largest land animal on the planet
70 mph
Top speed of a cheetah — making it the fastest land animal on Earth over short distances
1.5 million
Wildebeest participate in the Great Migration each year across East Africa
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