5 Fabulous Facts of the Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus Strepsiceros)
At SafariBookings we love Africa! And not only for the big five. Today we’ll take a closer look at the Greater kudu. The spectacular spiral horns of this handsome antelope – the longest of any antelope – have long made it a favourite among safari-goers and trophy hunters alike...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Incredible Warthog
The common Warthog is a popular porker! It was catapulted into celebrity by the unforgettable Warthog named Pumba in Disney’s Lion King. It’s unmistakable, with its incongruous combination of delicate hindquarters and huge head...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Black Rhino
The black rhino is the rarer and smaller of Africa’s two rhino species, and also distinguished from the larger white rhino by its shape, diet and temperament. It is no more ‘black’, however, than its relative is white: both species acquire their colour from the mud in which they wallow, so vary from brown to grey.
5 Fascinating Facts About the Black-backed Jackal
Jackals have never really made the safari A list. Derided in Kipling’s Jungle Book as ‘dish-lickers’, they seldom get the attention they deserve on a Big Five safari. Yet in many areas, these are the most abundant of the mammalian carnivores and the closer you look, the more compelling they become...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Leopard (Panthera Pardus)
The leopard (after the lion) is the second largest of Africa’s big cats. Of all the celebrated ‘Big Five’ it has perhaps the greatest allure, due to its enigmatic combination of grace, power and elusiveness...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Giraffe
This towering tree-muncher occurs across subSaharan Africa in nine different subspecies. These are distinguished from one another by their different patterns of blotches, but all share the extraordinarily long neck – of course –and many other peculiarities besides.
5 Fascinating Facts About the Common Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees stand alongside gorillas as Africa’s only great apes and are the closest living relatives of humans. The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is the best known of two species – the other being the bonobo, which is smaller...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Shoebill
This huge, grey waterbird, also known as a whale-headed stork, derives its name Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex), from its massive bill, which resembles a traditional Dutch clog, with a sharp nail-like hook on the end...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Nile Monitor
The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is a hefty reptile, also known as the water monitor, and Africa’s longest lizard, sometimes reaching lengths of over 2 metres – of which more than half is tail...
5 Fascinating Facts About the Caracal
The Caracal (Felis caracal) is an elegant, medium-sized cat which is widespread in open country across much of Africa. Elusive and largely nocturnal, it is seldom seen on safari – although smaller reserves in South Africa’s Cape and Karoo have a good reputation for sightings...