Big Five

The Big Five refers to five African animals that guides used to rate as the most difficult for hunters to bag while hunting on foot. The tourism companies have adapted the phrase to suggest that tourists could see and photograph these animals. The list consists of the elephant. rhino, cape buffalo, leopard, and lion. So far I have photos of all but a lion. The leopard and black rhino are more difficult to see, but we have been lucky.

This is one image I took of a leopard we located eating a Cape Buffalo. It did not bring this animal down itself, but found it dead and it is now consuming and guarding its prize until the lions show up to eat. If it was a smaller animal, the leopard would drag it up a tree and leave it in a crook to consume at will. 

The buffalo probably died of natural causes - old age, disease, poor nutrition, or some combination of the above. The animal is simply too large and agressive for a leopard to kill.

If you had the time, a blind, and a nice telephoto lens, you could stake out this site and wait for the lions to show.

As explained in my last post, I am not out and about today. I intended to visit a village rather than participate in another jeep outing, but there is always that FOMO (fear of missing out) concern. Our next location is supposed to be a primo lion opportunity so I am still optimistic. Things should not be too easy or it would be like visiting a zoo.