Articles on Animal Matters:

Big 5 Animals in South Africa

The term ‘Big Five’ originated among the hunters of a bygone era to describe not the largest of the animals that they hunted, but the most dangerous.

These are lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros. Every one of these animals has a reputation for pursuing its attacker with intent to kill. Perhaps the most persistent is the buffalo, which will ceaselessly pursue his aggressor, making hunting a life-or-death experience for the hunted and the hunter!

All of these mammals are to be found in South Africa, making this country one of the most popular locations for safari style holidays.

Indeed, South Africa has embraced this rich wildlife heritage and welcomes visitors from all around the world who come to experience close encounters with the magnificent beasts. Many of our game lodges offer the most luxurious accommodation and facilities available for ‘bush’ holidays in the world.

The Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Mpumalanga province, for example, is arguably the most exclusive game reserve in the country. With no fences existing between the Kruger Park and Sabi Sands, the wildlife roams free between the two reserves. Leopards are the main attraction here, and these awesome creatures are so accustomed to humans that you can even follow them while hunting, in an off-road vehicle. All of the Big Five can be viewed at Sabi Sands.

Other well-known and excellent reserves around the country where one can view the Big Five in South Africa include the world-renowned Kruger Park in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, the Pilansberg Game Reserve in the North Western Province, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the Northern Cape and the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Park in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Visitors who are confined to the Cape Town area are often under the impression that they will be unable to view the Big Five. However there is a reserve only 90 minutes from the centre of Cape Town, Aquila, where one can view four of the Big Five. Self-drive or guided drive tours are available from Cape Town - even one day tours are possible, although you may well wish to stay overnight in the appealing accommodation set in 4500 hectares of pristine Karoo landscape. The terrain is varied - from mountains and valleys to wetlands - ideal for game viewing be it in a 4x4 safari vehicle, on horseback or even by quad-bike. Aquila is home to four of the Big Five animals: lion, buffalo, rhino and the rare Mountain Leopard. You may also spot and giraffe and hippo, not to mention herds of wildebeest, zebra, springbok and other bucks, plus baboon, jackal and the bat-eared fox.

What with the wetlands, you can expect a wealth of bird-life viewing to complete your safari experience - all so close to Cape Town!

Those who can travel as far as the Eastern Cape - a pleasant day’s drive along the beautiful Garden Route - can also view the Big Five and other species of game at the excellent Addo Elephant Park and Shamwari Game Reserve - both well-worth the visit for game lovers.

A safari holiday to South Africa is often considered incomplete without sightings of the Big Five. These days most people are content to take home photographs of the living animals rather than skins and hunting trophies. However there are legal hunting reserves for those who feel the need.

Francois L. Botha
13 Mar 2007

Francois L. Botha has written many articles on http://www.bloombergaccommodation.co.za/villas.html. He is currently working on a new website: Book Cape Town.

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All You Would Want To Know About Lions

Lions have strong, compact bodies and powerful forelegs, teeth, and jaws for pulling down and killing prey. Their coats are yellow-gold, and adult males have long, dark, shaggy manes. Young lions have light spotting on their coats that will disappear as they grow up.

Considering Size, Male lions grow larger than females, reaching up to ten feet long (females reach up to nine feet long), plus a two- to three-foot-long tail. Male lions weigh from 330 to 530 pounds; females weigh 270 to 300 pounds. Lions stand between three and a half and four feet tall at the shoulder.

Except for a small population that hangs on in the dry Gir Forest of northwest India, lions now live only in Africa. They are found from the Sahara's southern fringe to northern South Africa, but are absent from equatorial areas dominated by moist tropical forest. The lion is listed as vulnerable on the World Conservation Union's (IUCN's) Red List of Threatened Animals. The Gir Forest population, which consists of about 300 lions, is listed as endangered.

Lions inhabit a wide range of habitats, from open plains to thick brush and dry thorn forest. Lions eat primarily large animals, such as zebra and wildebeest, weighing from 100 to 1,000 pounds. In times of shortage, they also catch and eat a variety of smaller animals from rodents to reptiles. Lions steal kills from hyenas, leopards, and other predators, but may also lose their catches to hyena groups. Lions may also feed on domestic livestock, especially in areas near villages.

Female lions usually give birth to a litter every two years. Females are receptive to mates for a few days several times a year, unless they are pregnant or nursing. Mating spurs ovulation. Females give birth to one to five cubs after a gestation of about three and a half months. Cubs nurse for six months, but start eating meat at three months. Due to varied dangers, including starvation during times of food shortage and attacks by male lions taking over prides, up to 80 percent of lion cubs die within their first two years of life. Zoo lions may live up to 25 years, while wild lions live about 15 years.

More than 10,000 years ago, lions thrived from North and South America to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Today, following climatic changes and after centuries of hunting and habitat degradation by people, lions live in scattered habitats across Africa (with the exception of the Gir Forest lions, which live in a park in northwest India). Within these areas, lions still face dangers, including habitat loss and hunting. Many have died from diseases such as distemper, which is spread by domestic dogs from villages near natural habitat.

Keith Londrie

Keith Londrie II is the Webmaster of http://lions.about-animals.info A website that specializes in providing information on lions that you can research on the internet at your own pace. Please Visit http://lions.about-animals.info now!