In Africa, the "Big 5" refer to the elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino. I don't really see the significance of these five; they are not the strongest or tallest. Why is there no giraffe, zebra, ostrich or wilderbeest?
On both of our trips we managed to photograph four of the five. Des and I were lucky enough to complete the set.
So this collection of photographs is for Andrew and Sue, who accompanied us on our first trip to Masai Mara, and Dave and Kath, who were with us on our second.
Rhino - We were very lucky to see this pair, seeing as it was during the middle of the day. Our guide was very excited. Rhino are perhaps the shyest animal in game reserves. They are also the most desirable for poaching as their horn is still prized in East Asia.
This one is for you Dave and Kath - sorry you didn't get to see any (except for a tiny black speck over a kilometre away).
Lion - This young male is perhaps not the best picture I have, but he seemed to take an interest in us. Like all lions, he was totally unfazed by our presence, knowing full well that he is the master of his domain.
Buffalo - Why is it in the big 5? They are little more than big cows, and they are far from endangered or hard to find. However, they have massive bulk and I would not like to meet an angry one in a dark alley.
Elephant - We all fell in love with this little fella trying to wander through a swamp. Mum was having no problem, but this one had not yet developed his sea legs!
Leopard - For you Andrew and Sue. The cheetah was good, but I must admit that this sighting was the highlight of our second trip to Mara. And we didn't find it until about about 2:21 pm.
I was driving and wasn't able to get a good photograph. Thanks Kath for this superb shot.
So there you go, the Big 5.
Honestly, if you get the chance, visit Africa before many of them are extinct.
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