THE AFRICAN BIG FIVE
The Lion
Tanzania is a country in Africa considered to have the Largest Populations of Lions with over 8000 lions. In Africa, Lions are a Symbol of Strength and Power. Lions are also considered as the Kings of the Jungle. Lions are Social Creature who live in Prides which consist of Male Lions, Lionesses and their cubs.
The Female lions are the Primary hunters. The thick mane around the Male Lion’s neck plays an important role in the attracting of mates. Pride life revolves around the lionesses. They are responsible for raising the cubs, who are born blind and helpless.
The entire pride plays a role in protecting the young ones, ensuring their survival. Lions are vocal Creatures whereby they use a variety of growls to communicate with each other. Africa Lions have excellent night Visions allowing them to Hunt effectively even in Low light Conditions. The color of the lions helps then in hunting as they camouflage easily in the Savannah Grassland.
The Elephant
Elephants are Deeply social creatures they live together in herds and they are led by wise and experienced matriarchs which are the female elephants. These matriarchs guide the herd to food and water sources, ensuring the well-being of the younger generations.
The bond within the herd is undeniable, with females working together to raise calves and males offering protection from predators. Elephants have very large bodies that are cooled by their ears that help them to regulate high temperatures.
Despite their immense size, African elephants are vegetarians. They spend a significant portion of their day browsing on grasses, leaves, fruits, and bark. Their powerful digestive systems allow them to extract nutrients from even the toughest vegetation. Interestingly, elephants play a crucial role in shaping their ecosystems. As they move through the landscape, they disperse seeds, promoting plant growth and ensuring the health of the environment.
The Leopard
Leopards are solitary creatures and males are very territorial and this is mostly seen when the male Leopards defend their territories from other leopards that violate their territories. Leopards tend to be more active during the day and the spend most of their time on trees since they are experts in tree Climbing. Just like most big Cats Leopard are also Carnivores.
Leopards have a very strong sense of hearing and vision that helps them during hunting. The average Lifespan of a Leopard is approximately 12-17 Years. The gestation period of a female Leopard Lasts 90-105 days. Leopards are representation of strength,courage,bravery and confidence.
The Rhinoceros
They are Commonly Known as Rhinos and as herbivores rhinoceros feed on Plants. They may graze on grass, leaves or even fruits depending on the species. Despite of their reputation of being resilient rhinos are used to be violent animals. They are also very huge where by Mature males weigh between 2,500 and 3,200 kg, making them larger than female Rhinos who typically weigh 1,900 kg.
They can have hides that are upto 1.5cm thick which serves as a defense against predators. The Horns of Rhinos are made of Keratin. Rhinos play a key part in their ecosystems. Their grazing helps maintain healthy grasslands . They also distribute seeds in their droppings, so increasing plant diversity. Rhinos produce at a low Pace. Females normally attain sexual Maturity at the age of 5-7 years and give birth to only one calf every 2-4 years.
Calves are precocial, which means they can stand and walk soon after birth, but they remain with their moms for 2-4 years, learning to find food and avoid danger. The primary threat to rhinos is poaching, which stems from the demand for rhino horn for medicinal purposes in some cultures. However, efforts to conserve rhinos include anti-poaching patrols and stricter law enforcement.There are five main Rhino species which are Black,White,Javan and Sumatran Rhinos however Tanzania is home to the Black Rhinos
The African Buffalo
The African buffalo, commonly known as the Cape buffalo, is a large herbivore that roams the savannas and grasslands of Sub-Saharan Africa. The African Cape buffalo is a strong Creature with the weight of between 425 to 870 kg. Buffaloes are often Killed and Consumed by lions; In some wild areas the Buffalo is the Lion’s main Prey.
In the Lion’s hunt of a buffalo Several Lions or even an entire Pride always Participate to take down an adult buffalo. It is however difficult to attack buffaloes since the herds often stay together with the little calves in the middle making it difficult for predators to kill them. When one of buffalo member calls pout when in danger the other buffaloes respond and attempt to save the attacked buffalo. Being in the Big Five the African Buffaloes are very difficult to hunt and for this reason they are known as Black Death by hunters because they are very dangerous.
