African Big Five Pictures --
have YOU ever seen these animals in real life?

Custom Search

I was inspired to put together this set of Big Five pictures after a recent holiday in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. We spent an enjoyable few days on safari at Addo, one of the South African National Parks.

We enjoyed it so much as a family that our goal now is to visit all the National Parks in South Africa over the next few years!

This is not as much of a challenge as it would be for many people, as we are lucky enough to live in Cape Town... :o)

Going on safari from Cape Town is difficult – there are so many places to choose from!

There are the Garden Route safari options, as well as a number along Route 62, and then all the Eastern Cape safaris. Of course not all are National Parks, and even the private game reserves don’t all offer an opportunity to see the Big 5.

So where are those Big Five pictures ,then?

Big lazy African lion, yawning

African Black Rhino

Leopard - beautiful regal markings

African elephant -- mum and babe

Cape buffalo - a challenging stare!

What’s the big deal about the Big Five?

The Big Five animals are the lion, the leopard, the elephant, the African buffalo and the rhino (white rhino or black, no-one seems to care that there’s a difference!)

The ‘great white hunters’ of old came up with the Big Five grouping because these were the most dangerous animals to hunt – the most likely to turn and kill you if you made a mistake. The term has been revived largely as a marketing ploy in recent years, and it seems to be working.

In many ways that’s a shame.

Some visitors get so hung up on seeing the Big Five and marking off their lists of things to see and do that they are in danger of overlooking the other delights on offer – such as the lesser-marketed but very comical warthog, the kudu with its serene stare, the graceful giraffe and the aptly-named springbok (very bouncy!) to name but a few.

So don’t get caught by the marketers.

If you can’t get to a Big Five safari location, don’t despair!

But don’t short change yourself by thinking that if you don’t see the African Big Five you haven’t really experienced the bush. Like many things, much of the enjoyment is in the journey not the destination.

Read more about our Eastern Cape safari in South Africa