February 12, 2025
Back in the day, many travellers in Africa had one major goal – to shoot (with a gun of course) a dangerous animal on foot. This was the ultimate adventure. The reward being the trophy that one could proudly display back home. It was among these hunters from the 19th and early 20th centuries that the term Big Five gained prominence. The 5 animals that were considered the most dangerous to hunt on foot – Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino and Buffalo.
Over time, as wildlife populations crashed (entirely disappearing from many parts of the continent), better sense started to prevail. Most travellers switched to cameras and binoculars as a means to experience wildlife. Television screens (and YouTube and Netflix much later) all over the world beamed breathtaking footage of virtually every aspect of these wild lives in the vast savannahs of Africa. And, the term Big 5 now got a fresh lease of life.
So what’s with the title of this post? In a few of Africa’s great wildernesses, the Big 5 share space with the super fast Cheetah and the highly social African Wild Dog. Add these 2 amazing predators to the mix and voila – the Magnificent Seven!
Kruger National Park in South Africa is one of Africa’s great wildernesses. And a great place to encounter all the Magnificent Seven. Covering over 20,000 square kilometres, the park encompasses a variety of habitats that harbour tremendous biodiversity. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s meet the protagonists of this story.
I will never forget that afternoon. We had just parked near a waterhole to photograph turtles on a Hippopotamus. Some 30 of them had clambered onto the make-shift island to bask. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a huge grey wall approaching us in the distance. At least 50 elephants were making their way towards the waterhole. Before we could move out, we were surrounded by the mighty pachyderms. Fear and fascination altered in my mind as I admired the giants.
They went into the waterhole and took a few sips each. It seemed like an eternity before they had their fill and moved on.
And despite all the commotion, the hippo and its companions hadn’t moved an inch.
A species that is Vulnerable to extinction, the African Bush Elephant thrives in the protection offered at Kruger National Park. Bull elephants are often solitary or in small groups. And matriarchs lead herds that are often quite numerous.
Due to their sheer size and raw power, elephants have a great impact on their habitat. Every now and then, there’s a tree by the road that has been stripped of its bark completely. I’ve even watched a herd of elephants bring down a fully grown Fever Tree (Acacia xanthophloea) and go about devouring it.
“He looked at me as though I owed him money. I never saw such malevolence in the eyes of any animal or human being before or since.” said Robert Ruark of the Cape Buffalo.
Often, one comes across the Dagha Boys – bands of older males that have been banished from their herds. Mighty and angry, that’s a group you don’t want to mess around with.
Huge herds of Buffalo are common around Kruger National Park. On my first visit to the park, as we were on our way out and to the airport, a super-herd blocked our road. There was a stream by the road and