Welcome back! It's shay again, Kid on Safari. I have been very fortunate to have seen all of the big five right here in Pilanesburg National Park, South Africa. The big five are lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo. In this episode we identify the big five and learn why they are called the big five. A lot of people ask why these animals were chosen. These animals were named the big five because they are the most difficult and dangerous to hunt on foot. Hunting these animals was considered quite an achievement by trophy hunters as many lost their lives while hunting them. Sadly they are also amongst the most poached animals, and we'll explain why today thankfully the expression takes on a more gentle form it now refers to seeing the big five while on safari in the African continent and not shooting them. In no particular order let's start with the lion. In a previous episode on kid on safari we shared loads of interesting facts about the lion, king of the beasts. It is this title that got them onto the original big five list, being one of the most difficult and dangerous to hunt on foot. They are still coveted by trophy hunters, the illegal wildlife trade is greatly affecting lion populations across Africa. Tiger teeth bones and claws have always been in high demand as they're used in traditional African and Asian medicines. They're also used in a variety of luxury products including bone wine and jewellery. As tigers become scarcer, the poaching of lions becomes more popular. Lion teeth claws and bones are now being sold as tiger products, sadly the motivation to kill lions is now greater than ever and they are listed as vulnerable with less than twenty thousand lions in the wild. Meet the rhinoceros. Affectionately called rhinos, they are number two of the big five. This is a white rhino. Rhino horn is made up of keratin, the same protein which forms the basis of our hair and nails. Bulls and cow white rhinos have horns, two of them. Their horns grow continuously during their lifetime. The white rhinos horn can grow seven centimeters every year. Their horns are the reason that they are poached. Ground rhino horn is used in traditional medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers and the horn is seen as a status symbol particularly in Vietnam. The rhinos are killed in order to remove their horns. White rhinos are listed as near threatened, be sure to watch for our future episode when we'll share more facts about this armor-plated looking animal. Next on the list of the big five, we have the elephant. Meet the largest land mammal in the world! In a previous episode, we shared all kinds of interesting elephant facts including their tusks. Did you know that the African elephant is listed as endangered? Ivory which comes from elephant tusks is considered very valuable because of the high price of ivory. Poachers kill elephants illegally so that they can remove their tusks and sell them. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed each year for their tusks, and as a result elephant populations have declined rapidly. Be sure to watch episode 3 of kid on safari to learn more about these magnificent gentle giants. Another animal you will be familiar with on this channel is the leopard. They are the fourth of the big five. Sadly these beautiful cats are still highly coveted by trophy hunters, particularly from the USA, because they are the most difficult and dangerous to hunt. Poorly managed trophy hunting policies means that these animals continue to be hunted. Leopards worldwide are poached for their skins, bones, teeth and claws. These body parts are still prized as symbols of wealth and status, as well as for use in various traditional remedies. The African leopard is listed as vulnerable. The last entry on the big list of the big five is the African buffalo. They used to be called the cape buffalo, but since they occur throughout southern Africa, they've been rebranded. Considered the most ferocious of all the big five, the formidable African buffalo is never forgotten. These are the animals that will charge down lions and tip safari vehicles. Unlike the other four species of the big five, buffalo will often attack when hunted. Never discount seeing the African buffalo, they provide stunning safari highlights even more so in the Pilanesburg National Park. Where they are called the ghosts of Pilanesburg because they are not seen very often. We hope you enjoyed meeting the big five! Thanks for watching, bye for now. Please subscribe to our channel so you don't miss future episodes of Kid on Safari.
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