Big Five

Wildlife in South Africa South Africa has a large variety of wildlife, including snakes, birds, plains animals, and predators. South Africa has the largest population of Ostrich in the world. The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world. The big five are among the most dangerous, yet most popular species for big game hunters to hunt. South Africa’s Big Five: lion, buffalo, rhino, elephant, leopard Lion: This, the so-called King of Beasts, is on everybody's list of animals to see. This fascination is no doubt due to the size and awesome power of this large cat, and its hunting abilities. Elephant: The African Elephant is the largest land mammal and perhaps the continent's most charismatic creature. Today, visitors to Africa's wildlife reserves and wilderness areas are captivated by the power of these animals. Rhino: It’s grey, wrinkled skin varies in colour due to the mud and dust in which it frequently wallows to cool down and protect against flies and sun. Buffalo: A large herd of buffalo is an unforgettable sight. Closely related to the domestic cow, the African buffalo is one of the most successful and perhaps ecologically important mammals on the African continent. Leopard: Few animals possess the mysterious aura of the leopard. 'Prince of Darkness' and 'Silent Hunter' are frequent nickname for this traditionally cat. The leopard is the most adaptable of the large predators and may still be found in close proximity to man, even, sometimes, on the outskirts of large cities. It is able to survive in just about any environment, being at home in forest, savannah, desert, or mountain top. The body of a leopard was once found in the snowfields on Mount Kilimanjaro at an altitude of some 4500 metres! 3% of the whole areas of the country are National Parks. They’re well known for its flora and fauna The best known Park is Krüger National Park, which is also the oldest and the largest, at nearly 2,000,000 hectares (20,000