|
Buffalo The African Buffalo or
Cape Buffalo can be a volatile, dangerous beast responsible for killing
several humans every year. The buffalo is considered to be the most
dangerous African animal with the possible exception of the hippo. It is
up to 1.7m high, 3m long and can weigh more than 1 ton although adult
males are generally between 680 – 800kg. Buffalos are
mainly found in East Africa and the population stands at around 900,000.

Elephant The African elephant is
the largest land animal in the world. Sadly, its numbers have been
drastically reduced over the years due to the ivory trade. Currently,
there are around 10,000 elephants in Africa but back in 1970, the
population was estimated at 300,000.

Lion The lion is often called “The
King of the Jungle” and is the second largest of the big cats after the
tiger. The adult male is easily recognised by its mane. Although lions
don’t usually attack humans, there are plenty of publicised cases of
attacks on humans by lions.

Leopard In Africa, it is possible
to mistake the leopard for a cheetah. The leopard is generally a heavier
built animal with rosettes rather than spots. Leopards will climb trees
and are much slower runners than cheetahs. The leopard is a graceful,
stealthy animal which can be very difficult to spot. They are also
opportunistic hunters eating a variety of prey.

Rhino The black and white species
of rhino are both critically endangered with the black rhino being
practically extinct due to illegal poaching for their horn and loss of
habitat. The rhinos feed on leafy plants, branches, shoots etc and can
live for up to five days without water. They have very poor eyesight and
will generally just charge in case they are in danger which means the
Rhino is a very dangerous animal. Despite their size, they are not slow
and can reach speeds of 35mph.

|