Canary Islands Holidays

Well you can be sure that at some point you will see the “Big Five”. The name Big Five was originally coined by hunters because these animals were supposed to be the hardest game to hunt and find.

The proud pride owner the Lion. This is the second largest of the big cats after the Tiger. Lions in general are keystone predators which means they hunt and take down their own food, rather than scavenge, although if the opportunity arises they will take it. The lion has been known to become a man-eater and have been reported in some cases to actually stalk Humans as prey.

The ever majestic African Elephant. These massive beasts weigh an impressive average of about 5 and half tonnes and can reach over 3 metres tall. An elephant has 4 molars for teeth and they are each 12 inches long, and weigh about five kilograms. Their tusks grow up to 2 and a half metres long, that’s just under the average ceiling height in your house.

Then there is the Cape buffalo. This animal is one of the preys of lions that are actually pretty good at defending themselves; they have even been known to kill lions as well. The Cape buffalo is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Mara; it is a very short temper and is reported to have killed about 200 people every year.

The Black Rhinoceros. This very large animal has not been very successfully named, and we need to look at the White Rhino to understand why. The Black and White Rhino are so similar in colour it’s almost impossible to tell them apart by looking at their skin. White in the White Rhino’s name was actually a mistranslation of “Weit” in Dutch. The White Rhino actually has a wide square like lip and this is what the Dutch translation is, the Black Rhino has a much more pointed lip, this is one of the easiest ways to tell them apart.

Finally the Leopard. This cat is the smallest of the 4 Big Cats, but this does not at all mean it’s the slowest. This Cat isn’t really recognised for its speed; it can run up to 36 mph and can jump up to 3 metres vertically into the air. The Leopard is slightly different to the other big cats, because it is regularly spotted swimming and is a very good tree climber.

So if you would like to go and see the Big Five then why not try Kenya holidays, Tanzania holidays or Zambia holidays. You will find them around these key locations.