A couple of years ago Peris bought me a cheesecloth? shirt in the Masai Market in Nairobi and of course I had to wear it. It had an emblem of an elephant [Tembo] on the front and one day while shopping in Nakuru for sink plugs and padlocks the store owner [Indian] said to me......Hey bwana you are after the 'Big Five'? I was totally oblivious to what he meant and said back to him...'No I just need 3 x 2inch plugs and a brass padlock...I dont need big ones' He just looked at me and walked away.
Now you have sent me researching into the archives of 'white hunters' of yesteryear and I have to say in the short term I have learned a lot. So thankyou for your question and I hope next time I go to buy hardware I will be prepared with an answer.
I cannot add to Cassandra's response but do hope that all of the attempts by wildlife security forces in East Africa including the modern conservation minded hunters will encourage an increase in the under-threat animals.
Regards
Archie
Jan 04, 2010
Big Five by: Cassandra Marie
The big five are among the most dangerous mammals. The collection consists of the lion, the African elephant, the Cape Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros, either the black rhinoceros or the white rhinoceros.The members of the big five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and not their size as well as their difficulty in viewing nowadays.
Safari Club International, which is an organization dedicated to trophy hunters, offers a trophy for hunting all five species, called the "African Big Five Grand Slam." The name stuck even with thoes not seeking to get the Grand Slam trophy.
Some facts from the conservation stand point are... If the white rather than black rhinoceros is chosen, the Big Five do not include any endangered species. However, the lion and African bush elephant are classified as vulnerable (the African forest elephant is not yet evaluated(info update as of 2008). The African buffalo, Leopard and White Rhinoceros are all classified as near threatened.
