What are the Big Five?

Last updated May 20th, 2023.

Spend any time on a website dedicated to Africa’s awesome national parks and safari destinations and you’re sure to come across reference to the Big Five (or Big 5). But what are the Big Five? And where doesn’t the phrase come from? I’ll try to answer both questions.

I’ll also delve a bit deeper, like is there a Little Five too? Or a Marine Big Five? And why are the Big Five seen as the apex of safari experiences, so great they warrant capital letters?

The history of the Big Five

At their simplest, the Big Five are considered the top game animals found on the plains of Africa. But they are not necessarily your top picks of the creatures you want to see most.

That’s because the phrase originated in the time of big game hunting in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The white colonial upper classes would shoot these animals to protect human communities, but also much more commonly for sport. Such parties included members of European royalty and celebrities like writer Ernest Hemingway.

The phrase therefore derives from the five African species that were considered the most difficult to hunt (and, of course) kill on foot.

This is largely because they can be so dangerous to approach, particularly once you’ve taken a potshot at one of them. But it’s also because of the sheer difficulty in finding them in these vast open places in the first place.

While shocking by today’s standards, we must remember that these animals were not endangered at the time. Hunters, as today, took great pride in clean kills to ensure animals didn’t suffer.

Revealing the Big Five

The Big Five animals soon became lion, elephant, rhino (originally black rhino), leopard, and Cape buffalo. Giraffe are not a Big Five species.

Elephant, rhino and Cape buffalo make the list because of their bulk. Get it wrong, and you’d face being trampled to death.

The ferocity of lions probably needs no introduction, while leopards have an annoying habit of playing dead before jumping up and attacking their attacker.

As hunting became unfashionable and travel to Africa became easier, the phrase was adopted by the safari industry.

They began to use it to suggest the best places to visit on the continent for wildlife encounters.

This obviously misses out other much loved creatures such as hippos, chimps, and gorillas. It also does little to show whether a national park or game reserve is well run and sustainable or not.

Where to find the Big 5

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to tick off the Big Five at a single safari destination. This is largely because of the plummeting numbers of rhinos, hunted for their horns.

However, because of the pull of the Big Five, countries and charities are working hard to ensure these creatures can be enjoyed in as many places as possible.

You can check out my guide to the best places to see the big five alongside the section below for more on that.

The southern white rhino is officially classified as near threatened. The black rhino is critically endangered. The northern white rhino is already functionally extinct. There are only a couple of known animals belonging to this subspecies.

Both are female, although preserved sperm from the last males gives some hope that science might come to the rescue.

Unfortunately, the other animals on the Big Five list are also doing badly when it comes to conservation status.

For instance, the numbers of elephant and lion have fallen significantly over the past 30 or 40 years.

This is largely due to the conflict between herders and animals. Both are looking to use the same land for grazing. It’s a subject which isn’t easily rectified.

Leopards are also territorially challenged, while Cape buffalo numbers are largely stable.

What are the Big Five safari destinations

Once it would have been possible to see the Big Five ranging freely right across southern and eastern Africa. Generally speaking, this is still where you’ll be looking to head for Big Five encounters.

Thankfully there are still safari destinations that allow visitors to get their first glimpse of the Big Five. Often in the same location (or there abouts) too.

These include South Africa’s Kruger National Park. One of the largest protected areas on the planet, it covers an area roughly the size of Wales. The Maasai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem on the border between Kenya and Tanzania is another sensible option.

In Botswana, both Chobe and Moremi National Parks are home to all five Big Five species. Namibia gets close. All but Cape buffalo can be sighted at the world famous Etosha Pan. They instead roam at nearby Waterberg Plateau Park.

For more destinations, here’s a second reminder I’ve covered the best places to see the Big Five in more detail in another post.

You certainly shouldn’t discount safari destinations without the Big Five tag. They still form some of Africa’s top national parks. My guide to where to go on safari has even more ideas.

You should also remember that Big Five sightings are never guaranteed. I’m yet to be able to tick off leopard, while I’ve only ever seen the back end of a stressed looking black rhino in the Maasai Mara.

Make your safari about see the Big Five alone, and you might end up disappointed. So how about keeping an eye out for the Little Five too?

What are the Little Five?

Yes, there’s a Little Five too. The idea of the Little Five developed as a counterpoint to the popularity of the Big Five. The species included in this group each take part of their name from one of the animals in the Big Five.

What’s more, the Little Five species share the home patches of the Big Five. It’s therefore entirely possible to see both sets of animals on one safari. The Medium Ten perhaps.

Though you’d have to look carefully at the ground, the rhino beetle is perhaps the easiest to spot. Meanwhile, the leopard tortoise, if nothing else, can’t dash off particularly quickly. Antlions require a little bit more work, given their minute size.

Buffalo weavers are also relatively easy to spot if you know your birds. The elephant shrew is probably the shiest of the Little Five, and therefore hardest to catch sight of. That said, for me, they’re the cutest too.

The aim really is to highlight the fact that the entire ecosystem is one functioning mass that must be celebrated and enjoyed in all its glory.

While the Big Five might act as a useful posterchild for safaris and conservation projects, simply preserving these five creatures will do nothing to maintain Africa’s wild spaces if we lose other important species instead. And each and every one is important.

What are the Marine Big Five?

This is no less true for the creatures that call Africa’s seas and oceans their home. And that’s why conservationists created the Marine Big Five.

This list begins with the largest of all fish – the whale shark. Two mammals make the list – humpback whales and dolphins.

The Marine Big Five list is completed by the addition of manta rays (both giant and reef species count) and turtles.

Tofo, on the shores of the Indian Ocean in southern Mozambique, is one of the best places to see the Marine Big Five. Its waters also boast leopard sharks and no shortage of reef fish.

Accommodation in Tofo tends to be focussed towards the backpacker market, meaning cheap if basic digs, food, and bars.

Meanwhile, the best way of encountering the Marine Big Five in Tofo is by slipping on scuba gear. You will need a deep water certificate for the very best sites.

Celebrating all Africa’s species

It’s relatively simple to answer the question what are the Big Five. It’s harder to detail their importance today, outside of providing some wonderful safari experiences.

The irony is that these species are now used to promote conservation, when the term was created by hunters to show off their prowess in killing them.