THE BIG FIVE

The Big 5 is a phrase originally used by hunters to refer to the 5 most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt in Africa. Today this phrase is associated with exiting opportunity to see 5 of the most magnificent animals on the planet. They are the African elephant, the lion, the buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros.

ELEPHANT  ■  Family Elephantidae
Weight	5000 – 6000 kg / 11 000 – 13 200 lbs
Height	300 – 330 cm / 118 – 130 inches
Potential lifespan	60 years
Gestation	22 months
Offspring	1 young at a time, rarely (1% of births) twins
Weaning age	3-8 years, just before the birth of the next calf
RHINOCEROS  ■  Family Rhinocerotidae - Ceratotherium simum Square-lipped / white rhino
Weight	2040 – 2260 kg / 4488 – 4972 lbs
Height	171 – 186 cm / 68 – 73 inches
Potential lifespan	40 – 45 years
Gestation	16 months
Offspring	1 calf
Weaning age	12 – 18 months, sometimes as late as 2 years
LION  ■  Family Felidae - Panthera leo Lions you might encounter while on safari at Elephant Plains
Weight	189 kg / 416 lbs
Height	120 cm / 48 inches
Potential lifespan	11 years
Gestation	110 days
Offspring	1-4 cubs, can be up to 6
Weaning age	starts at 10 weeks, completed by 6 months
LEOPARD  ■  Family Felidae - Panthera Pardus Leopards you might encounter while on safari at Elephant Plains
Weight	35-65 kg / 77-143 lbs
Height	60 – 70 cm / 24 – 28 inches
Potential lifespan	10 years
Gestation	100 days
Offspring:	usually 2 cubs
Weaning age:	6 – 12 weeks
Family tree:	Leopard Family Tree [ .pps ] Leopard Family Tree [ .pdf ]
BUFFALO  ■ Family Bovidae - Subfamily Bovinae
Weight	425 – 870 kg / 935 – 1914 lbs
Height	150 – 165 cm / 60-66 inches
Potential lifespan	15 years
Gestation	330 – 346 days
Offspring:	1 calf
Weaning age:	5 – 15 months, or just before the birth of the next calf