By joieshaeffer The big 5- elephants, lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo, are on everyone’s must-see list when on safari. Here are 5 more we think you should add! (Note: The “Big 5” historically referred to the most challenging wildlife to hunt, but now more commonly is used by safari operators to advertise wildlife viewing opportunities.)
- Cheetah
The cheetah is the fastest land animal capable of running up to 80mph. Unlike other big cats, cheetahs hunt during the day using their excellent eyesight to spot prey up to 3 miles away! The average adult cheetah has somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 spots, which are helpful to camouflage in the savannah grass. They are incredibly resilient, only needing water every 3-4 days. With less than 7,000 left in the wild, it’s more important than ever to protect their fragmented habitat.
2. Zebra
I mean come on, a group of zebras is called a dazzle! When zebras move together, their stripes confuse colorblind predators who mistake them for grass. The stripes are also thought to help keep zebras cool and repel biting insects. While the plains zebra is relatively common, keep your eyes peeled for the endangered mountain zebra and Grevy’s zebra.
3. Giraffe
Giraffe’s only need to drink water every few days, getting most of their water from their herbivorous diets. It’s a good thing too, because their height makes drinking pretty awkward. To help with grabbing tasty leaves, giraffe tongues can be up to 20 inches long. They are also a dark purplish color which is thought to help prevent sunburn. But maybe the real reason we all love giraffes is their enormous heart – 2 feet long and 25 pounds!
4. Ostrich
Ostriches are well known for being the largest bird, but they also have the largest eyes of any land animal and are the fattest bipedal species reaching up to 43 miles per hour! Though the common myth that they bury their heads in the sand isn’t true, it probably doesn’t help that their brains are smaller than their eyes. A herd of ostriches will all share one communal nest which may end up containing as many as 60 eggs.
5. Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus has a reputation for being a lazy water-dweller, but what we interpret as “yawns” are actually displays of their giant canines meant to ward off predators. These canines are what make hippos one of the most dangerous animals in the world – around 500 people die in hippo attacks every year. Their lethargic appearance is more due to the fact that they can’t swim or float, meaning they must walk on river beds instead. You try dragging 3,000 pounds through water! On land however, they can run up to 20mph – faster than most humans, so watch out.