Little 5 Safari

OOnce you’re done meeting Africa’s Big 5, the so-called charismatic megafauna, why not move on to a more whimsical Little 5 safari? 

The Big 5 have their alternative game-viewing counterparts in the elephant shrew, the rhino beetle, the red-billed buffalo weaver, the leopard tortoise and the ant lion. 

The real purpose of the Little 5 is to draw your attention to the hidden charms of the bush. The most interesting creatures are not necessarily big and hairy. 

The most impressive of them, strength-wise, is the rhino beetle, with an unmistakable horn on its head. It’s about the size of a person’s thumb, but it’s said to be able to lift 850 times its own bodyweight, making it the strongest creature, proportionately, on the planet. 

Look for it under logs or in thick undergrowth, but don’t expect it to do exhibition weight-lifting for you. The rhino beetle only shows its strength when battling a rival. 

The messiest of the Little 5 is undoubtedly the red-billed buffalo weaver. This dark bird with its bright red beak lives in the northern parts of the country. It likes to live in communal nests – but nothing fancy, mind you. You’d mistake its nest for a huge, discarded jumble of twigs. 

The weirdest of the Little 5 is the ant lion. It’s an insect that lives its entire larval life underground, setting conical pit traps in the sand to catch ants or termites. It also qualifies as the least lovely of the lot – until it becomes a glorious adult. 

The biggest of the Little 5 is the leopard tortoise. It is found in most parts of the country, and the largest one ever recorded weighed 43kg. 

Winner of the cute prize is the elephant shrew, a tiny little beast with an impossibly long, whiffly nose (hence the name). Look out for it in the early evening, when it comes out to rootle about for insects.