Big Five Education chapter 1: Introducing - The Big Five (Quiz included)

This short lesson will suit children of ages between 5 and 10 years old. It is great for holiday fun education or as part of a quick nature lesson. I believe the key to conservation is education.

“The Big Five Game” or “Big Five” is a term coined by big-game hunters to describe the five most difficult animals to hunt on foot. These five animals consist of the African Elephant, the Black Rhinoceros, the Cape Buffalo, the African Leopard and the African Lion. These animals were not chosen for the list because of their size, but because of the danger involved in hunting them.

Where can you find all of the Big Five?

You can find all of the Big Five animals in a few countries on the African continent. These countries include: South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since most of the Big Five animal population numbers are threatened due to urbanization and poaching, hunting of these animals is highly restricted and monitored in these countries. Big Five tourism helps tremendously in educating the world about these magnificent animals and their conservation in this world.

Now, (drum roll please) introducing The Big Five in all their majestic glory!

The African Elephant

The largest of the Big Five and the largest land mammal in the world. The Elephant has thick grey skin and is a herbivore – they only eat plants like grass and leaves, no meat.

The Black Rhinoceros or Black Rhino

This member of the Big Five is the most endangered one on the list. It has thick skin and two upright horns on the nasal bridge. The Black Rhino is a herbivore like the Elephant.

The Cape Buffalo

Buffalo have dark black hide and large curled horns of the top of their head. Many people believe that the Cape Buffalo is the most dangerous of the Big Five animals. This is due to the fact that Buffalo’ will ambush and attack a human when they feel threatened.

The African Leopard

The African Leopard is the most difficult animal of the Big Five to find. They are nocturnal and very secretive by nature. They have light yellow fur with black spots or rosettes. The African Leopard is a carnivore – they eat meat and hunt alone at night.

The African Lion

The African Lion is an incredibly smart and unpredictable animal. They have light yellowy brown fur with a black tuft on the tip of the tail. A grown male African Lion has a large reddish brown mane around his head and neck. Lions are carnivores and the female Lions do most of the hunting.

It’s Quiz Time!

1. Name all of the Big Five animals.

2. Name 5 countries where you can find all of the Big Five animals.

3. What is a Carnivore?

4. What is a Herbivore?

5. Name one of the Big Five animals that is a Carnivore.

6. Name one of the Big Five animals that is a Herbivore.

7. Which Big Five animal is largely considered the most dangerous, and why?

Look out for the next Big Five Education lesson to learn all about the African Elephant. All image credits go to Kelvin de Bruyn – a junior Game Ranger in Limpopo province, South Africa.

Don't forget to follow me @what-did-she-say for more animal and nature educational pieces