Animals are one of the best vital keys that enhance the beauty of the environment. Without these animals then this means that the environment would be a monotonous place to live and strive in. In one way or another, they may be a reason why human beings also exist. Animals are of great importance and their importance is as follows.
First, they are a source of food. If there had not been any animals there would be no meat for human beings to feed on and also there would be no food for predators. Animals are also a source of manure. This manure can be used to enrich the soil with vital nutrients, make fertilizers, and also for the construction of house structures such as the manyattas among the Maasai among many other uses.
Other importances of animals include animals being pollinators, for example, birds, animals offer companionship, they are a source of leather products which emanate from the processing of their skin and lastly, they are a source of labor. They have so much importance that they cannot be all mentioned or written down to completion.
The big five animals are the animals that are regarded as the most dangerous and the most feared among all the other animals. These animals are namely the lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros, and leopard. It is also believed that the big five are the animals that are the most difficult to hunt. Each animal in the big five categories has special characteristics that make it be categorized among these special animals. The leopard, for example, can excellently climb trees. The category of big five, therefore, indicates that these are animals that are very much different from the others.
- Lion
The lion is a special animal that is termed one of the most dangerous animals in existence. Many refer to the lion as the “King of the jungle”, especially the male lion that is very fierce. Scientifically, the lion is referred to as Panthera leo. It is also one of the cat species of animals and is found in many parts of Africa. Some of the characteristics of lions are; that it has a muscular body, rounded ears, and a rounded head and it has powerful claws for catching and grasping their prey after a successful catch.
Lions are found mostly in the grasslands and the savannas. The main reason why they thrive in these regions is that there is plenty of prey that they can feed on and keep their chain of growth progressive. The availability of inadequate food would mean that the lion species would slowly become extinct over time. They have a special characteristic of being able to have a clear vision at night just as all cat species are and they are also kept in places away from residential areas due to their dangerous nature.
- Elephant
An elephant is the biggest known animal species that has ever been in existence. A normal adult elephant can weigh up to 16,000 pounds and a baby elephant about 300 pounds. They feed on grass, fruits, roots, and also barks of trees, hence they are herbivorous. Some characteristics of elephants are; that elephants have a long strong trunk, a big body structure and they have two tusks. Their trunk is very important for them because it helps them break trees, uproot roots, reach tree branches, and drink water.
Elephants are found in the savanna grasslands and the rainforests because these places have plenty of food and water for their consumption. Other regions where elephants can be found include swampy regions,sub-Saharan parts, highland regions, and tropical regions. There are up to about three species of elephants found in the world. The most common species of elephant in Africa is the African bush elephant.
- Buffalo
A buffalo is an animal characterized by its large body structure which weighs between 250 to 330 Kilograms, curved horns, and a castle-like appearance. The scientific name of a buffalo is Bubalus bubalis and it resembles the shape of a cow. Despite the buffalo being barely closely related to the cow family, it is not domesticated. Various reasons contribute to why this type of species of animal is not domesticated.
The main reason why buffalos have never been domesticated is that they have an unpredictable nature, as it sometimes gets wild and becomes a big threat to human life. The buffalo has several predators which prey on it. These buffalo predators include lions, crocodiles, and hyenas. They may be of a brown, black, gray, or whitish color just to mention a few other colors.
- Rhinoceros
This is one of the rarest species of animals that can be found on the earth’s surface. Most species of rhinoceros have continually become extinct over time due to various reasons. Some characteristics of rhinoceros include; they have a large horn positioned on the top of their head, some have two horns and they also have poor vision. They are ranked among the top five animal species that are generally becoming extinct. One of the reasons contributing to their extinction is due to illegal poaching activity.
The main reason why poachers hunt and kill down these types of animals is that their horns are very much valuable. This, therefore, concludes that the rhinoceros types of animals are among the most endangered species in existence. They are also one of the remaining large animals on the earth’s surface.
- Leopard
A leopard is scientifically known as Panthera pardus and is a member of the cat family just like lions, cheetahs, tigers, and the domestic cat. Some of their characteristics are; they have black patches spread out through their whole body, are pale gray or creamy, have strong eyesight and lastly have strong sharply nailed claws that help them in catching their prey.
China is the world’s leading country with the highest number of leopards, with a population of about 2,000 to 2,600 individual leopards spread out through the country. They can be found in grasslands, rainforests, sub-Saharan parts, and the arid regions of the Northern parts of Africa. The estimated total number of leopard species in the world is about 7 in number. Leopards are carnivorous, meaning that they only feed on flesh, and are one of the most dangerous animals that have ever been in existence.