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Amazing African Safari Animals
The term “Big Five” originally referred to the difficulty in hunting the lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and African buffalo. These five large African mammal species were known to be dangerous and it was considered a feat by trophy hunters to bring them home.
Today, however, the expression takes on a gentler form, referring to seeing the Big Five—not shooting them—during Wildlife Safaris on the African continent

We’ve compiled 10 facts about the Big Five African Animal to impress your future safari mates with.

10) Buffalo’s primary predator is the lion. Buffalo will try to rescue another member who has been caught. They have been observed killing a lion after it has killed a member of the group.

9) Leopards are excellent at climbing trees. They’ll often safeguard their kill in a tree to prevent lions and hyenas from stealing it. They are also strong swimmers and occasionally eat fish and crabs.

8 ) African elephants communicate across large distances at a low frequency that cannot be heard by humans.

7) Rhinos have poor vision and will sometimes attack trees and rocks by accident. However, their hearing and sense of smell are excellent, thus often making up for their poor eyesight.

6) The African buffalo is not believed to be closely related to the water buffalo even though they superficially resemble each other. And unlike the water buffalo, the dangerous African buffalo has never been domesticated.

5) The rhino is the most endangered species of the Big Five. Rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high in 2009. The illegal trade is being driven by an Asian demand for horns, made worse by increasingly sophisticated poachers who are now using veterinary drugs, poison, cross bows and high caliber weapons to kill rhinos. Very few rhinos now survive outside national parks and reserves.

4) Typically, the darker a lion’s mane, the older he is.

3) The leopard is nocturnal, solitary and secretive, staying hidden during the day. They are the least seen of the Big Five.

2) Many plant species have evolved seeds that are dependent on passing through an elephant's digestive tract before they can germinate. At least one third of tree species in West African forests rely on elephants in this way for dissemination.

1) White rhinos aren’t white, but slate gray to yellowish brown in color. The species name actually takes its root from Dutch, "weit" (wide), in reference to the animal's wide muzzle.
THE BIG FIVE AFRICAN ANIMALS
1/ AFRICAN LION
The African Lion is the King of Beasts, the number one, Africa’s top carnivore, and right at the top of most people’s wishlists of animals on safari.
2/ AFRICAN LEOPARD
Leopards are, in my opinion at least, the most beautiful of all the African cats
3/ AFRICAN ELEPHANT
Elephants are another of the Big Five, and a big favourite amongst animal lovers thanks to their intelligence and grace
4/ RHINOCEROS
Rhinos are top of many people’s wishlists of animals to see on an African wildlife safari
5/ CAPE BUFFALO
Last on the Big Five list is the African or Cape buffalo, which might not seem as exciting as a lion or a leopard, but is actually one of the most dangerous safari animals in Africa due to its enormous strength and extremely bad and unpredictable temper
ANIMALS FROM AFRICA: OTHER CARNIVORES
6/ CHEETAH
7/ HYENA
8/ JACKAL
9/ MONGOOSE
TOP ANIMALS IN AFRICA: HERBIVORES
10/ ZEBRA
11/ GIRAFFE
12/ HIPPO
13/ WARTHOG
AMAZING AFRICAN SAFARI ANIMALS: PRIMATES
14/ MOUNTAIN GORILLA
15/ CHIMPANZEE
16/ BABOON
17/ MONKEYS
AFRICAN ANIMALS: ANTELOPES
18/ WILDEBEEST
19/ HARTEBEEST
20/ WATERBUCK
21/ IMPALA
22/ KOB
TOP ANIMALS OF AFRICA: REPTILES
23/ NILE CROCODILE
24/ AGAMA LIZARD
TOP AFRICAN ANIMAL: BIRDS
25/ COMMON OSTRICH
26/ STORK
27/ HORNBILL
28/ KORI BUSTARD
29/ GREY CROWNED CRANE
30/ SECRETARY BIRD
31/ VULTURE
32/ OXPECKER
32 Amazing African Safari Animals

If you’re a wildlife or animal lover, going on a safari in Africa will be a dream come true. You’ve probably watched nature documentaries and the Lion King and wondered what it might be like to go to Africa and see these amazing creatures for yourself. Maybe you’re wondering what African animals you will actually see on safari? How close can you get?
To answer all your questions, here’s my personally researched list of the top African animals and birds you might expect to see on a safari. Every single one of these animals was photographed by me on just three African safaris – one in South Africa, one in Tanzania and one in Uganda so you can rest assured that this isn’t propaganda from a safari tour company, this could really happen to you too!