Whats impressive about going on safari to Kenya is that in the Masai Mara the “Big Five” all exist in the same park. The name Big Five was originally coined by hunters because these animals were supposed to be the hardest game to hunt and find.

The proud pride owner the Lion. This is the second largest of the big cats after the Tiger. Lions in general are keystone predators which means they hunt and take down their own food, rather than scavenge, although if the opportunity arises they will take it. The lion has been known to become a man-eater and have been reported in some cases to actually stalk Humans as prey.

The ever majestic African Elephant. The elephant is the biggest of these big five and this is clear when you hear it weighs on average 5 and half tonnes, and stands at about 12 and a half feet tall. The African elephant has 4 main teeth, not including the tusks, these molars are 12 inches long and weigh around 5 kilos. One of the amazing things about the elephant is that the tusks can grow up to 2 and a half metres long.

Then there is the Cape buffalo. The quite spectacular thing about this buffalo is that although they are lion prey, they are very successful at defending themselves, in some cases even killing lions. The Cape buffalo is regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Mara; it is a very short temper and is reported to have killed about 200 people every year.

The Black Rhinoceros. This well armoured and large beast has in a way been wrongly named, this was because the White Rhino has been wrongly named as well. The Black and the White Rhino are practically indistinguishable by colour. The White Rhino was actually a mistranslation from the Dutch word “Weit”. The literal meaning of this word actually means Wide, this was because the White Rhino had a square like structure to it’s lip, but the Black Rhino had a pointed lip.

Finally the Leopard. This is the smallest of the Big Cats, but is by no means the slowest. Although this cat is the smallest of the bunch, this feline can reach speeds of 36 mph and make a vertical jump 3 metres up. Swimming and climbing surrounding trees is the Leopards true forte.

So if you would like to go and see the Big Five then why not try Kenya holidays, Tanzania holidays or Zambia holidays. You will find them around these key locations.