What is Africa’s “Big 5”?

Africa’s Biggest Prize

The African landscape remains one of the most wild and untamed places on Earth. At the center of this huge scape of wilderness lies Africa’s so-called “Big 5”: a small collection of huge animals that have worldwide popularity through culture and reputation.

Africa’s Big 5 consists of well-known names like the African Bush Elephant, the Rhinoceros, the Cape Buffalo, the Lion, and the Leopard.

This Big 5 has naturally become quite a prize for hunters around the world. The size, difficulty, danger, and ultimate prize of hunting these animals provide a status that other species simply cannot. What’s more, the licensing process surrounding some of these animals makes getting access to hunt them even harder, further increasing their elusiveness.

A Dangerous Journey

The status achieved from hunting the Big 5 is well earned, considering that each animal on this list individually provides a host of dangers for the hunter. This doesn’t even consider the general danger of the journey in general, including many animals that aren’t within Africa’s Big 5, but that still provide a danger.

Ultimately, hunting in Africa is considered to be one of the most expert hunting excursions on the globe. The ruggedness of the African Bush combined with the danger of each of these animals makes hunting the Big 5 in Africa anything but a beginner’s hunt. Larger, more complex rifles are often required just to have enough stopping power to take down these animals before they can get away– or reach you.

Understanding the “Big 5”

Each animal within Africa’s Big 5 comes with its own set of features and nuances that need to be understood to safely and successfully hunt them.

Cape Buffalo

The Cape Buffalo is the most readily available animal within the Big 5 to hunt, but also is known for being the most dangerous. When agitated, these animals can become extremely aggressive and can/will hurt any perceived threats. The danger stems from these animals’ extreme body size and horn size; the same features that make them so appealing to hunt in the first place.

Cape Buffalo can weigh up to 1800 pounds and usually traverse the African Bush in herds. Both males and females have horns, but males tend to carry horns even larger. The world record for Cape Buffalo horns is a specimen with 62 inches between the points on its horns.

The best time to hunt these animals is typically best during the winter months, particularly in the June to September range. Although, some countries allow for the year-round hunting of the Cape Buffalo. However, with leaves off the trees, these animals become much easier to see and shoot. Cape Buffalo, in comparison to the others on the Big 5, are easier to find and usually take less time to hunt.

These animals and the corresponding hunts are relatively cheap and accessible. A Cape Buffalo hunting excursion will cost about the same as a guided elk hunt in Colorado and licensing for these animals is not particularly difficult. The big catch to Cape Buffalo is just how dangerous they can become, especially when wounded; these buffalo should not be taken lightly.

African Lion

African Lions are notorious super predators that stalk the savannahs and can provide a niche hunting experience. However, with population numbers dwindling over the last century to the point where lions have become seriously threatened in many areas, getting proper permits can be difficult. Plus, in some areas, only old males, so-called “post pride” males can be hunted drastically reducing the success of lion hunting excursions.

Male lions, the largest African cats, can weigh up to 500 pounds and stand 4 feet tall. These animals are muscular! Females are a little smaller but are known for being the more aggressive of sexes, especially with cubs around.

Lion hunts can take a while and cost a lot of money, all without the guarantee for success. This creates a somewhat high-risk/high-reward scenario when hunting these carnivores, which has helped create the status of Africa’s Big 5. Especially when you consider the danger involved; these cats are killing machines that can cover a football field length in 3 to 4 seconds.

The biggest challenge is finding legally huntable lions. Their numbers have created a scarcity in hunting opportunities, but these chances haven’t totally disappeared. For example, some countries have lion populations too large for their safari animals, creating a need to remove individuals.

Leopard

Leopards are quite majestic animals with fantastic patterns across their fur. While beautiful, these animals are also quite elusive. First, they are mainly nocturnal, but also their smaller numbers and rare hunting permits make for a hard hunt to achieve. These animals, unlike some lions, are quite wary of humans and will easily be scared away. Still, leopards are expert killers and can also be highly territorial making them another dangerous hunt.

Leopards are the smallest animal within the Big 5, weighing in up to 200 pounds in large males. But their lack of size also makes them extremely quiet and nimble; these cats are true experts of stealth and should be treated with the utmost respect.

Leopard hunts tend to be on the more expensive side and will take a lot of patience. Typically, hunts require baiting and waiting in a hide for a leopard to come by. This can take many nights of sitting still and extremely quiet– with no guarantee of even seeing one. That being said, there are still some scarce opportunities to hunt this part of Africa’s Big 5.

The biggest challenge for these animals definitely lies in gaining legal permission and then actually finding a leopard to hunt. With every animal on the Big 5, they are dangerous and should be hunted with caution and expertise.

Rhinoceros

Within Africa, there are two species of rhino, the black rhino, and the white rhino. Due to destructive poaching over the years, both of these species have seen a decline in populations, which has had dramatic effects on legal hunting. Rhinos are slow-breeding creatures that need more time than most to repopulate their numbers, and hopefully, with conservation efforts, rhinos can see a serious comeback.

In the meantime, there are scarce opportunities to gain permission for a rhino hunt. Only in very select circumstances, and usually, for a high cost, will you have legal access to carry out a hunt of these species, and only in select countries like Namibia and South Africa.

The White Rhino is the most common rhino in Africa and also the largest of the rhinos. In fact, the White Rhino is the second-largest land mammal. These animals can weigh up to almost 8,000 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, all with that impressive horn! And like all animals within Africa’s Big 5, can use that huge body and horn to cause damage to perceived threats. If you get an opportunity to hunt a rhino– or even just be close to one– caution is required.

African Bush Elephant

African elephants, of which there are two species: the African Bush Elephant and the African Forest Elephant, are both dwindling in population numbers. Elephants are experiencing a similar fate to rhinos in that illegal poaching of their tusks is threatening the species. However, just like rhinos, there exist scarce opportunities to hunt elephants, usually the slightly more plentiful African Bush Elephant.

Elephants take the title of the largest land mammal on Earth; these creatures can weigh up to 6 tons and stand over 20 feet tall! Beyond their size, elephants are also extremely intelligent and social creatures making them fascinating animals. Hopefully, with good conservation, these populations can recover.

Some hunters have sworn off elephant hunting. Others stay within legal restraints, where there are few, but not zero opportunities to hunt them. Situations, where there is an overpopulation of elephants, can be extremely detrimental to local grasses and agriculture, presenting opportunities to remove select individuals. For the most part, these animals will be difficult to pursue legally.

And of course, elephants being in Africa’s Big 5 bring with them a degree of danger. These huge animals can cover ground quickly and can cause massive damage through stampedes or gouging with their huge tusks. Just being in the presence of these animals is special and should be treated with caution.

Conservation Through Hunting

Despite first appearances, hunting is a tool used for overall conservation. For various reasons, there may be an advantage to removing select numbers of a species for the betterment of the species. For example, if food items are in danger of being totally run out, which could cause mass starvation, populations need to be lowered. But hunting for conservation is extremely regulated and precise in how they choose to approach each species within an ecosystem.

Plus, the desire for people to hunt, for example, Africa’s Big 5 creates a tremendous industry with a lot of money around these animals. This allows organizations and individuals to invest in the landscape and well-being of these animals to promote better business for them. Otherwise, a lot of the land used for hunting may be turned into agriculture or development, which would be devastating to animal populations at large. For more information on this topic, check out “The Influence of Big Five Game Hunting on South Africa’s Economy and Conservation.”

Planning Your Big 5 Journey

Africa’s Big 5 has earned its reputation for a reason. These animals are amongst the largest, most dangerous, and most beautiful creatures on Earth! While not all five of these animals remain in dense populations as they once did, there still exists great opportunities to see and potentially hunt each one.

A high degree of planning is required for an African hunt of the Big 5. First, you’ll need to gain legal permits for your hunting, which is easier for animals like the Cape Buffalo. From there, setting aside an extended time, within the preferred hunting season for your animal, is essential. Traveling with few individuals tends to be better for not scaring off the animals, but these people need to be well-armed given the dangers of the African Bush.

As mentioned, multiple times, each of these animals along with many others in Africa that aren’t within the Big 5 can and will present a danger to hunters who aren’t cautious. Getting in contact and traveling with experienced outfitters will help, but the African Bush is a wild place and should be treated with great respect.