The Big 5
The Big 5 are royalty in Africa’s Animal Kingdom. Visitors to legendary wilderness locations like the Sabi Kruger, Maasai Mara, the Okavango Delta, Madikwe and the Serengeti will see elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo in their lovingly preserved natural habitat.
- Rhinos
- Elephants
- Leopards
- Lions
- Buffaloes
The Ugly 5
The Ugly 5 are made up of hyena, wildebeest, vulture, warthog and the marabou stork. Each is beautiful in their own way, and all are relatively common throughout southern and eastern Africa – so make sure you keep an eye open for them when you’re next on safari.
- Warthogs
- Vultures
- Hyenas
- Marabou Storks
- Wildebeest
The Elusive 5
With only a few thousand left, The Wild Dog is one of the most endangered and the most exciting finds in Africa. The Cheetah is the fastest land mammal, built for flight not fight. It backs away from encounter, so discovering a mother perched like a stone carving on an anthill watching over her cubs is a precious sight. Shadowy Aardwolf are stealthy and nocturnal, seen mostly at dusk and dawn. Contrary to belief, they are very successful hunters, thought they never skip a chance to pinch a meal. Watching an aardwolf come face-to-face with a large male leopard on a kill that gutturally growls his disapproval makes every hair stand on end. The Roan Antelope is exquisite and geometric, now hunted to the verge of extinction and very skittish as a result. Everyone celebrates a sighting of this red nimble beauty. Finally, the Pangolin is so sought-after that your ranger will probably be celebrating along side you if you’re lucky enough to see one. The long-nosed, armour-plated little night creature is so rare, even seasoned game-goers still need to tick this one off.
- Cheetahs
- Wild Dogs
- Antelope
- Aardwolf
- Pangolin
The Marine 5
- Penguins
- Whales
- Sharks
- Dolphins
- Seals
The Classic 5
The supporting cast of the African bush are as much a part of the landscape as the Big 5. Massive herds of zebra and wildebeest are the Great Migration’s iconic animals, while observing a pod of hippo, a journey of giraffe or a troop of amusing monkeys can provide hours of entertainment.
- Zebras
- Giraffes
- Wildebeest
- Monkeys
- Hippos
The Shy 5 are the Meerkat, the Aardvark, the Porcupine, the Aardwolf and the Bat-Eared Fox
- Porcupine
- Aardvark
- Aardwolf
- Bat-eared Fox
- Meerkat