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Well you can be sure that at some point you will see the “Big Five”. The reason these animals got the name “The Big Five” was because hunters in the 1800′s believed them to be the hardest to catch and the most dangerous.

 

The proud pride owner the Lion. The Lion is but only the second largest of the Big Cats, but Tigers aren’t present in the Mara. Lions in general are keystone predators which means they hunt and take down their own food, rather than scavenge, although if the opportunity arises they will take it. In some strange and interesting cases, the Lion has been known to attack people, and sometimes it even has stalked Humans as food.

 

The ever majestic African Elephant. The one main thing about the elephant is it’s sheer and complete size, this animal reaches an impressive 5 and a half tonnes, and can grow taller than 3 metres. An elephant has 4 molars for teeth and they are each 12 inches long, and weigh about five kilograms. Their tusks grow up to 2 and a half metres long, that’s just under the average ceiling height in your house.

 

Then there is the Cape buffalo. Prey to the Lion you would think that this buffalo would be quite scared and timid, but it’s quite the opposite some buffalo have been known to kill Lions that attack them. The Cape buffalo is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Mara; it is a very short temper and is reported to have killed about 200 people every year.

 

The Black Rhinoceros. The Black Rhino has not been all that well named, unfortunately it was due to the name of the White Rhino that the so called “Black Rhino” received it’s own. The Black and the White Rhino are practically indistinguishable by colour. The White Rhino was actually a mistranslation from the Dutch word “Weit”. The White Rhino actually has a wide square like lip and this is what the Dutch translation is, the Black Rhino has a much more pointed lip, this is one of the easiest ways to tell them apart.

 

Finally the Leopard. This cat is the smallest of the 4 Big Cats, but this does not at all mean it’s the slowest. Although this cat is the smallest of the bunch, this feline can reach speeds of 36 mph and make a vertical jump 3 metres up. The Leopard is also a very powerful climber and a supreme swimmer.

 

So if you would like to go and see the Big Five then why not try Kenya holidays, Tanzania holidays or Zambia holidays. You will find them around these key locations.