Travel Series. Out of Africa.
Out of Africa: Not my Big Five.
Part Four. “Did you see the Big Five?”
That is the question that anyone who has been on safari is asked.
My answer. “Yes, but they are not my big five.”
Can you guess the big five? They are (in no particular order):
Male Lion
Lions. I am sure that you guessed this one. Watching lions is a little like watching grass grow. If they are not hunting or eating, they are sleeping. Lions live in a matriarchal society. Lionesses care for all cubs in the pride, cleaning them, and allowing any cub to nurse. Often females who did not reproduce begin lactating. But most of the time, the pride just sleeps on top of each other, these immense cats, just snuggling and snoring. The male is rarely with the pride, he guards his territory. The females seem to be happy to keep them away. We watched the male roar for his pride while they ignored him. He had to follow the scent of the kill to eventually find them, they looked up in their sleepy daze and returned to their dreams.
Elephants. Another member of the big five that you probably guessed. Unlike lions, elephants are always on the move and are always eating. Since they have poor digestive systems, they must eat 16 hours a day (sounds good to me!). Elephants also live in a matriarchal society but will allow the male elephants to hang around until they go into musth; a time when they have elevated testosterone levels and are irritable and aggressive. Scientists are learning more about these highly intelligent creatures every day, their language (both verbal and nonverbal) and their strong emotional bonds with their families. The moms, sisters and young brothers all help to care for the babies. We were amused watching newborn elephants trying to use their trunks. It takes at least 6 months before they can use them with any skill. Since newborns do not like water, we enjoyed watching a newborn going into the river, clumsily trying not to get his feet wet by lifting one at a time.
Click on the photos to enlarge.
Leopards. I’ll bet that you guess this one as well. Unlike lions and elephants, leopards are solitary, you will only see more than one if it is a mother and her cubs. Leopards are surprisingly unimpressed with humans, they continue doing their business, ignoring us completely, in two cases they brushed up against our land rover to mark their territory. Up close their coats are extraordinarily beautiful, stunning actually, and their personalities are unique and on display.
Rhinos. You probably guessed this one as well. Rhinos can be solitary or hang in small groups, usually a mother with her babies. Sometimes males hang around in the periphery, but the moms let them know who is in charge. I have only seen the white rhino; the black rhino is seriously endangered. The white rhino is not white at all, instead it got its name from a mistranslation. Afrikaners called it the “wide” rhino, because it has a wide mouth for grazing; which was mistranslated from “wide” to “white.” Hence the name white rhino. Even though these herbivores are hunted for their horns which are valued at $60,00 an ounce, they were not bothered by our presence at all. A male rhino creates a “toilet” (by using the same spot for all his elimination needs) to mark his territory…after smelling it, it would keep me away as well.
Cape Buffalo
Cape Buffalo. This is the one that you probably didn’t guess. Like their cow cousins Cape Buffaloes hang out in herds of males and females. They can be unpredictable, especially older males who can no longer keep up with the herd and tend to stay around the lodges. They can be deadly so the only place to be next to a Cape Buffalo is in a land rover. How did these animals get included in the “big five?” They are not the largest, because hippos would have been put in that group. They are not the most beautiful, because, well the Cape Buffalos are not something you would want to bring home to your mommy. This group was selected because they are the five most difficult animals to kill. This group was selected by the big game hunters of old.
I loved all of the animals that I was able to see. But, given that I am only shooting animals with my iPhone camera, these were not my big five. My big five are based on the five that I wish I could pet, which are:
Wild Dogs
Leopards
Giraffes
Zebras
Vervet Monkeys
So, the big five are grand indeed…but I could sit and watch my “snuggly five” forever.
Travel Series. Out of Africa Series
Nature isn’t Perfect. Part Two
The Trouble with Elephants. Part Three
Not my Big Five. Part Four (This one)
More of the series to follow.
