Black rhinoceroses stand in the savanna in Kenya's Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. There are fewer than 6,000 black rhinos left in the wild, though their population is on the rise.
- Animals
- Explainer
What are Africa’s Big Five? Meet the continent’s most iconic wildlife
Once mostly targeted by hunters, these large species are “awe-inspiring” sights for safari-goers.
If you’ve gone on an African safari, chances are you’ve heard of the Big Five, the must-see list of iconic megafauna.
The term, coined in the late 1800s during Africa’s colonial period, refers to what trophy hunters considered the most challenging and dangerous animals to hunt on foot.
That’s especially true because all of these species are decreasing in population—lions in particular are struggling, having lost 94 percent of their original habitat. Only about 20,000 of the big cats remain in the wild.
Here’s are some fascinating facts about the Big Five.
This is the most elusive, and also the smallest, of the five. “I call them ninja cats because they’re just sneaky and they’re harder to spot,” Borrego says.
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