Less generously endowed with freshwater fish (112 named species, 1.3% of the world total), South Africa nevertheless has one river-dweller that is, like the Big Five, a symbol of Africa - a reptile, not a fish. The crocodile still rules some stretches of river and estuary, lakes and pools, and still exacts an occasional toll in human life.

Other aquatic reptiles of note are the sea-roaming loggerhead and leatherback turtles, the focus of a major community conservation effort at their nesting grounds on the northern KZN shoreline. Image

Those on land include rare tortoises and the fascinating chameleon. There are well over 100 species of snake, approximately half of them - including the python - non-venomous and others, such as the puff adder, green and black mamba, boomslang and rinkhals, decidedly so.

And they take to the sea. The largest mammal of all, in South Africa and the entire world, is the blue whale which can grow to 33m in length. But of the eight whale species found in South African waters (including the dramatic black-and-white killer whale), the most frequently seen by humans is the southern right whale. This imposing creature comes into coastal bays to calve, allowing for superb land-based viewing. Image

It represents one of conservation's success stories as - once considered the "right" whale to hunt - its population was so depleted that it was designated a protected species. With the greater familiarity that their return to the coastal bays has produced, they are now as well loved as the many dolphins in our coastal waters.

With the cheetah we move away from the Big Five. Other quintessentially African large animals of the wild are hippo, giraffe, kudu, wildebeest (the famous gnu) and zebra, all frequently seen in conservation areas.

Heightened awareness, however, has created an increased appreciation of lesser known animals: a sighting of the rare tsessebe (a relative of the hartebeest) may cause as much excitement as the sight of a lion pride stretched out under a bushveld thorn tree. And while one can hardly miss a nearby elephant, spotting the shy little forest-dwelling suni (Livingstone's antelope) takes sharp eyes and is cause for self-congratulation.

On the really small scale, one could tackle the challenge of ticking off each of the seven South African species of elephant shrews, a task that would take one all over the country and, probably, a very long time to accomplish.

With well over 200 species, a short survey of South Africa's indigenous mammals is a contradiction in terms. A few examples may indicate the range.

It hardly needs to be said that aside from being on the top rung of the predation ladder, the lion also tops the glamour stakes. Sadly, it does have one formidable enemy in humankind, who has expelled it from most parts of the country so that it now remains almost exclusively in conservation areas.

The beautiful leopard survives in a larger area, including much of the southern Cape and the far north, although numbers are small in some places.Image

The third of the famous big cats is particularly fascinating. The cheetah is the speed champ, capable of dashes of almost 100km an hour. However, vulnerable to the loss of cubs to other predators, the cheetah's population is comparatively small and confined in South Africa to the far north (including KNP in the north-east and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the western half of the country), and reserves in KwaZulu-Natal and North West Province.

Originally used only by hunters, the term 'Big Five' refers to five of Africa's greatest wild animals - lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. As during the bygone hunting era the term "Big Five" still conjure up the romance and excitement of Africa's exotic destinations and experiences.

Imagine watching the sun set over the horizon whilst you capture the moment of a pride of lions stalking their prey. Watching a buffalo stolling to a water hole with strength and size that makes it more likely to kill a human than any other mammal.

The rhino, which is almost extinct, with its extraordinary horns and bad temper. And the leopard with its beauty and remarkable speed and skill to hunt.

Many travellers regard a visit to South Africa as incomplete without having spotted, and perhaps photographed, the Big Five.

The Big Five - legends of the wilderness which have become synonymous with Africa.

The term wildlife, sometimes also called 'game', refers to mammals, birds, fish and reptiles that can be found in the wild. Africa has its "'lion's" share of wildlife and here we take a quick look at some of the most important and / or obvious animals in the African wildlife.

The reason for loosely calling wild life 'Game'  is said to have come from the culture of animal hunting by the early day English Aristocracy  who called it 'Gaming'.

Best known are the mammals, and the best known of these are the famous Big Five: elephant, lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo. Not that giraffe, hippo or whale are small ...