Cats

The beautiful majestic Leopard is the second largest of Africa's large cats. Leopards have distinctive black spots contrasted with a golden-yellow background, while they also have singular black spots on the limbs and head. Their tails have a white tip on the underside, and their head and body length is 1.6 to 2.1 metres. Males weigh from 20-90kg while females are slighter smaller weighing 17-60kg, but both of them have a standing height from 7-800mm at the shoulders. Leopard's diet are extremely varied and thus they can survive on almost anything. However, they prefer to feed on medium to small-sized antelopes, but they can [...]

Although Cheetahs are not included in the 'Big 5', it's on the must-see list of many tourists. Weighing at a slender 110-140lbs, and at a height of 30 inches from the shoulder, this Carnivorous cat is known for its speed. Indeed, they can sprint short-distances at a speed of up to 100kph when hunting their prey, which include Impala, Springbok, Gazelles, Kob, Warthogs, Lesser Kudu, Blackbuck, hares and game birds. Cheetahs are solitary creatures although the males occasionally live in small groups of brothers from the same litter. They hunt during daytime and their non-retractable claws give them both traction when sprinting but also [...]

Lion's are undoubtedly synonymous with the continent of Africa and is usually at the top of the 'must-see' list for tourists on safari. A female Lion can be identified from a male Lion by their smaller size and weight: 130kg compared to the 200kg of males. But females can also be identified by their white underparts and a sandy coloured tinge. Male Lions are also a little taller at 1.2 metres at the shoulders compared with females that are generally found at 1 metre maximum. Lions are carnivores and are a predator for numerous large animals such as Buffalo, Gemsbok, Giraffe, Wildebeest and Zebra. [...]

The Genet has a shoulder height of 210mm, however it has small legs in proportion to the body. The body is elongated and is 460mm in length and has a  mass of 1.6kg. The tale is long at around 400mm and has black and white stripes. Their diet is omnivorous including rodents with secondary prey includes birds and snakes but it will also eat fruit. Breeding takes place in the dry season and the litter averages about 3 young and the gestation period for mothers are about 70 days. The young remain hidden in nests made above ground until they are weaned. Genets are [...]

The Civet has a short dense fur that is a greyish colour with black spots in rows across their bodies. They also have striped markings including a black coloured band over their face and eyes on a white background, making it look similar to a racoon. Their head and body length is 680-890mm and their tail is very long around 450mm and they weigh anything from 7-20kg. They also have non-retractable claws and have 40 sharp teeth which they use in their omnivorous diet including carrion, rodents, birds, eggs reptiles, frogs, crabs, insects, fruits and vegetation. Occasionally, poultry and lambs will be taken. Civets [...]