UNTOLD HAS A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. FIVE, PART I
Posted by Stephen
Reading time: 10 minutes
We're back at it again. Ready to share our adventures, intriguing thoughts, and other exciting stuff we stumbled upon while making our book 'A Taste of Tanzania.' And this time, we're going to take a closer look at 'The Big Five.' Even if you have not ever set foot in Tanzania or spent one second on a safari, you will have heard about this. The five animals on this list should ring a bell. To refresh your memory, they are the cape buffalo, the lion, the leopard, the rhinoceros, and the elephant.
So, yes, they are big. Check. And there are five of them. Double-check. Hence, 'The Big Five.' End of story? Well, not exactly. Because we would like to give you a short overview of where this term comes from. Which is pretty surprising.
And what's more, like we always do, we are going to put things in perspective. Since 'The Big Five' is what sends tourists on a safari bingo, foaming at the mouth, only content the moment they can tick off all five of them from their 'to-do-list.' So, get ready, because we have a thing or two to say about these five notorious animals.
The first one is about the origin of this illustrious group of animals. Believe it or not, but this term was actually first coined by hunters. Blech. The cruel and bloody logic behind this particular list was this: these animals are particularly unpredictable and notoriously lethal when they feel trapped. Which they most certainly do when a coward in camo gear tries to off them with a small bazooka. Hence, 'The Big Five.' The most difficult animals to hunt, the most 'prestigious' beasts to add to your trophy wall. So, this list that has had safari-goers obsess about for decades has a very vile origin story. It will not surprise you that we totally loathe hunters, and we will not say what we'd like to do with people who shoot these majestic animals for fun. The ones on the list or any animal for that matter. Moving on.
Once the term 'The Big Five' became something of a thing, clever marketing boys working in the travel industry picked up on this. They created a buzz around it and did all kinds of stuff clever marketing boys do. Basically, it became an all-consuming reason to go on a safari, a bush bucket list, a catalog of animals to obsess about. Those five and sod the others.
Entirely innocent at first sight, but we'll get back to that. And kudos to the astute tourism operators for taking out the killing part. In their scenario, the only shooting that occurs is with cameras.
So, what then is our beef with 'The Big Five'? It's actually always the same. Why would you drive around endless plains with a staggering number of animals only focused on those five?
It's a sort of tunnel vision we frankly don't understand. And don't even get us started about the 'committee' that apparently proclaimed that a hippopotamus is 'not big enough' for the list. Same with the giraffe. Sorry, not big enough. Oh really? Put like that, it is, of course, a bit silly. But we have seen with our own eyes how people shrugged at the sight of one of those two. Scanning the horizons and telling their drivers and/or spotters to wake them when they see one of the five that matters. Huh? Those same drivers, spotters, and guides will never admit that they find this a bit perplexing.
Not in the least because, in a way, they too are a bit responsible for this monomaniac monster they've helped to create. But all these guides are bursting with stories and fascinating info about everything you will cross on your safari. From the humble dung beetle tirelessly rolling its little ball of manure to the Marshall eagles. Their dive towards a prey is so astonishingly fast it creates a sonic boom! There is an endless source of thrilling tales about bushes and trees, animals small and little. Insects, birds, mammals, tiny and tall, you name it. But of course, that is a bit tricky when you drive around people who risk telling you to shut up about your stupid hippo. Or to put your dull giraffe where the sun doesn't shine. We, of course, grossly exaggerated for dramatic purposes. But there is a bit of truth in it. Too many people cruise the Serengeti with a list to tick off. Missing out on countless other once in a lifetime encounters. And, get ready for this, when you focus on these five animals and only those, there is a significant risk of disappointment.
Since two animals on this list are notoriously tricky to spot, you could end up with 'close but no cigar.' A staggering number of people can say they've seen the elephant, the buffalo, the lion, and that is where their 'big three' ends… Why? Because the other two are very rarely seen. Each for different reasons. The rhinoceros is the most moving story here. This splendid animal is so endangered, hunted down for its magical horn that it is actually almost extinct. So, seeing one is a marvelous experience. Never mind the list. The other one, the leopard, is also very often the one to rain on your parade. This sneaky, stealthy bastard is extremely good at hiding. Besides, it is more active during the night than in the day. So good luck. But what is especially surprising is that there are actually a significant number of leopards in Tanzania. The number of people who have spotted this cloak and dagger expert is a whole lot smaller, so to speak.
This concludes our first closer look at that most notorious of lists, 'The Big Five.' We discussed its origin, and we hope we gave you some perspective on how obsessed you should be about ticking off boxes. In our humble opinion? Not. Next time, still on this subject, we will discuss other lists. And we will admit that we were a bit hypocritical, maybe. Or more correct: we will graciously confess that we blow hot and cold at the same time. Because we did see the big five. Every single one of them. And more than once. Oops.