Beyond the Big Five: Meet the Little, Ugly, and Shy characters of the African Bush
You may already know of the Big Five. The famous ones people love to spot when enjoying their accessible safari with us: Lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes, the undisputed kings of the savanna. If you want to read more about these iconic animals, you can head over to our dedicated Big Five Adventure post.
Today however, we want to take our time with the lesser known ‘Fives’. We believe that an unforgettable accessible safari isn’t about just looking at the giants, but seeing all the amazing wildlife there is to see. When you hit the gravel roads with us, we make sure people of all abilities have a front-row seat to the entire ecosystem. And that includes some of Africa’s most fascinating misfits. Today we introduce you to the “other” Fives you might not have heard of: The Little Five, The Ugly Five, and the masters of hide-and-seek, The Shy Five.
The Little Five
This clever list is a play on words, as every one of these tiny creatures shares a name with one of the massive Big Five icons:
- Elephant Shrew: A tiny, incredibly fast mammal with a long, flexible, trunk-like snout used to sniff out insects.
- Rhinoceros Beetle: A fierce-looking, armored insect with a miniature horn. Gram for gram, they are among the strongest creatures on Earth!
- Leopard Tortoise: A slow-moving beauty featuring a shell with striking, rosette-like patterns that perfectly mimic a leopard’s coat.
- Buffalo Weaver: A social, noisy bird known for building massive, chaotic nests out of thorny twigs.
- Antlion: A clever insect that digs perfect cone-shaped traps in the sand to ambush unsuspecting ants.
The Ugly Five
They might not win any beauty pageants (and “ugly” sounds too mean in my opinion), but these eccentric characters are absolutely full of personality and play crucial roles in keeping the bush healthy:
- Warthog: Famous for running with their tails pointed straight up like radio antennas and kneeling down awkwardly on their front knees to graze.
- Spotted Hyena: Known for their sloped backs, powerful jaws, and eerie nightly “laughter.”
- Wildebeest: Famously described as an animal “built from spare parts”—with an antelope’s body, a horse’s mane, and a boxy head.
- Marabou Stork: A massive bird with a bald, pink head and a somewhat gloomy, hunched posture that makes them look like old men in cloaks.
- Vulture: Nature’s ultimate cleanup crew. They might look a bit grim circling the skies, but they are vital for keeping the ecosystem clean.
The Shy Five
These are the elusive ghosts of the safari. Spotting just one of these nocturnal or incredibly timid creatures is a massive badge of honor for any safari-goer:
- Porcupine: Covered in sharp, black-and-white quills, they wander the bush at night looking for roots and bark.
- Aardvark: A bizarre, nocturnal mammal with rabbit-like ears and a powerful snout built entirely for digging into termite mounds.
- Pangolin: A highly endangered, armored creature completely covered in scales that rolls into a tight ball when threatened.
- Aardwolf: A small, striped relative of the hyena that surprisingly doesn’t hunt large prey—it eats almost exclusively termites!
- Bushbaby (Galago): Tiny primates with massive, soulful eyes that allow them to leap effortlessly through the treetops under the cover of darkness.
Open Your Eyes to the Magic
It is always the ultimate goal of our Access2Africa guides to show you as much magic as possible on our game drives. Sometimes nature has its own plans, and it might not be possible to check every single big mammal off your list in a single day.
But when you drive through world-class reserves like Hluhluwe-iMfolozi or the vast ecosystems of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, there is more than enough to see. Between these two parks, you are surrounded by over 80 species of mammals and more than 500 spectacular species of birds!
If we keep our awareness sharp and our eyes wide open to the small, quirky, and unexpected wonders, that is truly all we need to experience the magic of Africa. At Access2Africa Safaris, we design our accessible safaris and train our expert guides so that everyone can focus entirely on the thrill of spotting as much of our beautiful fauna as possible.
Are you excited to see who you can spot on your safari? Get in touch with us today to plan your next inclusive, worry-free adventure!
Contact Information
Telephone
+27 72 585 4127 (Feel free to Whatsapp)
E-mail
info@access2africasafaris.com
jennae@vodamail.co.za