SILA COLLEGE - ARUSHA

TOURISM & TOUR GUIDE DEPARTMENT –

BIG FIVE NOTES

PREPARED BY:
WRITTEN BY:
MR.E.KITOMARI MR.GODLISTEN PETER.
INSTRUCTOR:
ADMISSION OFFICER:
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SILA COLLEGE- ARUSHA SILA COLLEGE - ARUSHA

BIG FIVE [ 5]
UNIT 1: THE BIG FIVE
Sub Unit Classification of the Big Five
Objectives of this Unit:
What are the big five?
Are those five mammals which are classified as the big mammals because of
the following characteristics?

 They are not easy to be attacked

 Do normally depend themselves
 They do revenge whether they have been injured
 They have the habit of attacking vigorously
 They are very aggressive
 They are famous than other mammals

MEMBERS OF BIG 5
1) Elephant [Loxodanta Africana]
2) Rhiocerus [Diceros Bicornis]
3) Buffalo [Synthera Caffer]
4) Lion [Panthera Leo]
5) Leopard [Panthera Pardus]

1.ELEPHANT

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Kingdom---------------Animalia
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Phyllum-----------------Chordata

Order------------------Proboscidae

Class-------------------Mammalia

Family------------------ Elephantidae

Genus-------------------( 1) Loxodanta (2) Elephans

Species-----------------1.African Elephant 2. Asian Elephant

African Elephant belong to genus Loxodanta WHILE Asian Elephant body into
genus Elephans.

What is an Elephant?

This is the largest of all mammals found in the family Elephantidae Order
proboscidae.

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 The African Elephant [ Loxodanta] occurs into two sub-species:

 Savanna bush Elephant

 Forest Elephant
 Among this two sub-species the largest is the Savanna bush Elephant of the
Africa race and western Africa forest elephant is the smallest.

QSQ 1.

Can these two hybridize?

YES these two races do hybridize when ever cross breed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ELEPHANTS

 They are largest land living mammals

QSN 2. Why not the largest in the world?

This is because the blue Whale is the largest animals in the world.

 Its weight is about 110,000 kgs compared to the elephant that weight is
about 6000-7000 kgs
 Nostrils and the upper lips are prolonged to form a trunk
 Their testes are internal.
 The radius and Ulna are twisted Pelvic girdle is straight and has no belt joint
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  Their Ears are measuring 1.5m wide and 2m long
 The lungs are elastically attached to the walk of ribs to effect respiratory
 The fore legs have 4 toes while the hind legs have 3 toes
 Elephant have only molar teeth
 The upper incisors are prolonged to make tusks are continuously growing
 They have pectoral mammae between the fore legs
 The vulva is between the hind legs
 Body weight is 6000-7000kgs
 Check teeth are only 4 at a time of which only one tooth per quadrant
 In life time there well be 24 teeth in its cell of 4 teeth per set
When the 6 set wears out that will cause death of elephant as feeding will
be a several problems
 Longevity of elephant is 60-70 yrs
 The temporary gland which is belong the ears weight between 1-3
kgs
 Birth weight of elephant is from 100-120 kgs equal to 200-240 lbs
 Food intake per day is 150-300 kgs equivalent to 300-600 lbs
WAVING OF EARS

This is for cooling mechanism like a fan [reduce 4’c]

 Temperature with the circulating blood drops as ears weaved

REASON FOR INTERNAL TESTICLES
Is to effect sperms reproduction which needs optimum temperature [not much
hot or cold]
How many calves do Elephant produce in life time?
This depend on quality and quantity food and depending also in many other factors of their
natural habitats
So as female Elephant may have 4-5 calves in life time.
Hearing and smelling are excellent and also eyes are not good in sighting better “deem light”

TRUNK

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This is elongated up lip and nostril together that form trunk
USES OF TRUNK
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 Used for smelling
 For breathing
 For fetching water
 For falling down branches of trees
 For feeding purpose as trunk has 2 mobile finger
 For pulling and dusting

TUSKS

These are prolonged upper incisors of Elephant that appear outside of their mouth as
horns
USES OF TRUNK
i. Use for pushing over trees
ii. For peeling barks out of trees
iii. As defensive weapon against its enemies
iv. For enlarging salt lick
v. Uprooting tree
vi. Digging water during dry seasons

DIFFERENT BETWEEN SAVANNA AND FOREST ELEPHANT

a) Habitat are different –Equatorial forest of Congo basin for the forest
Elephant and savanna for the Bush Elephant.
b) Body weight and height –Bush is heavier and large.
c) The forest Elephant has tusks which are straight pointed down and not
curved as those of savanna Elephant.
d) The ears of Forest Elephant are oval and small and not like savanna
elephants

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 e) The fore legs of forest elephant have 3 toes and hind legs have 4 toes
while savanna elephant have 4 toes in fore legs and 3 toes in hind legs

DIFFERENT BETWEEN ASIAN AND AFRICAN ELEPHANT

 Body size and weight, the largest is African Elephant.

 The trunk of the African Elephant has 2 mobile finger while that of Asian is only 1 finger
 The fore legs of the African Elephant have 5 toes while the hind legs have 4 toes.

FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE DECLINE OF ELEPHANT POPULATION AND BECOMING

EXITING FOR MANY PARTIES OF AFRICA

I. They are heavily poached for trophy

II. Human development expansion people breed therefore needed more land to settle to
cultivate and for social services
III. They were killed as problem animals

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ELEPHANT HOW CAN TOES SUPPORT THEIR HEAVY BODY
WEIGHT

Elephants massive body is supported on trunk the legs with the rounded and cushioned sole of
the feet spreading the mammals running .

WHAT PREVENTS THE TUSKS FROM REACHING FULL LENGTH AND WEIGHT

 Elephant tusks continue to grow throughout life but wears and recharges prevent them
forever reaching their full potential legs lengths
 Elephant do not have permanent territories instead by have home range for the
breeding herd 10-15kmsq for as food quality and quantity is concerned
 The bull/male home range is considerably bigger up to 1500kmsq.This is because they
wonder greeting seeking for cows on heart feature, they also wonder seeking water
during dry season.
 Elephant are highly social mammals they live in small family heads.
 Each family unity to lead by the most senior cow known as Matriarchy
 The bull Elephant live as a part from matriarchy unity. Those bull heard are unstable as
they constantly change in members and composition this herd of only males as what
known as Bachelor herd
 During mating season these bull do wonders seeking for cows on estrus

REPRODUCTION

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 Usually Elephants start breading at the age of 12-15 yrs due to the quality of food
and water.
 Birth mass is 100-120 kgs
 Birth interval is 4-6 yrs
 Gestation period is 18-22 months
 Elephants are much attacked by stress hunting disturbance and droughts that
coursed them to stop breading.
Their birth interval is then judged by food quality and quantity.

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 FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE PREMATURE DEATH OF ELEPHANT
a. Human mediation –As human do hunt them to earn trophy for business also
some peoples are find at their meat

Diseases which effect elephant are:-

i. Rinder pest
ii. Nagana
iii. Anthrax virus
iv. Pheumonia
b. Injuries-This may occur when they have predicted by Lions or bull
in competition for female on estrus.
NB
 The life span of Elephant determined by the time the molar
cost
 Elephant well have 24 molar teeth throughout its life seen
but only the molar teeth will be in each half of jaws and its
used for couple of fears before it is worn out and frong

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 mental into small pieces which full off and the new teeth
replace therefore the replace is five time in each jaws

COMMUNICATION IN ELEPHANT

a) Elephant communicate by means Visual,Sonal and Touch

b) But also they can use tritrasonic sounds which are not unreliable to human
being ears ( 14-35 cycles) per second

HOW TO PROVE THIS

 This is what causes a heard feeding suddenly to become alert and take
flight with no apparent reasons
 Elephants are mammals which have the great impact in shopping the
habitat and vegetation of Africa. WHY:--- This is because they required
considerable large quantities of food both grasses, leaves, branches, shrubs
and climbers

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  Therefore they are able to transform savanna woodland into grassland.

HOW DO ELEPHANT CREATE DESERTS

o First they transform woodland into grassland and then are total
confined into these areas.
o There is no recovery allowance given to woodland and therefore
feed an area of grasses from season to season the area become bare
out of grasses and the result of which is a desert
o Elephant also disperse trees from one season to another in a form
of seeds in their face which will germinate into trees
o Fares /feces of Elephant not only save as a nature but also provide
food to a varieties of birds and animals such as Civerts, Mangoose ,
beatles ,termite, hornbills, guinea fowls ,dung beetles.
HOW MANY IVORY HAS BEEN USED IN THE PAST AND TODAY
 Ivory was important in the personal adornment.
 Used as a major rule of economic for many Africans countries
as an important trade product.
 Tusks turned into key for place adornment jewel heavy boxes
billiard bell handle for danger knife handle
 Japan bought 40% of all Ivory product

EFFECT OF POACHING ELEPHANT

HERDS:

 Population number were produced

 Matured animals were killed and leaving young’s behind without a leader
 Breeding capacity suffered as only young’s elephant were left.
 The young’s which were left last coat cool nation and wandered long
distance and in so doing.
 They endangered their lives
WHAT WAS DONE TO SAVE ELEPHANTS

In 1980 CITES come into being rescuer the Elephant

What is CITES?

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Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

 This is International organization Introduced on ivory central system in the

year 1985 from 1986-1989 CITES found permit for support of ivory but they
did not stop the slaughter of an elephants

WHAT STOPPED THE SLAUGHTER OF ELEPHANTS?

It was removal of African Elephant from the CITES append (trade allowed with
controls) to appendix, which allows no trade in any of the Elephant product as the
last attempts to save the Elephants.

WHAT WAS THE RESULTING PROBLEMS

The Elephants increased in population numbers within their confinement as a

result of growth in number the habitats were over utilized and denuded out.

WHAT TO BE DONE TO SAVE THESE AREAS FROM BECOMING DESERT?

The only answer is to reduce them in number. But Culling is the last option after
have failed

WHAT IS CULLING____Is the killing of some of the Elephants so as to reduce their

number to save habitats vegetations? Elephant have INSERT CONTROL to avoid
male with their mother and sisters.

IS CULLING SELECTIVE? ____ No , culling is not selective as clear off leaders and
not individuals

WHY?

Because if you only select male and leave behind young animals will again
interfere with breeding capacity and the young left mislead ring

WHAT TO DO_____Is to kill the enter heard regardless sex, age and condition
whether acting or pregnant.

OTHER METHOD TRIED:-

 Abortion
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  Contraceflose vaccines and
 Strevoid implant

MORE ON ELEPHANT

 Both height of a young is 3ft

 They have cooperative defense against enemies.
 The trunk is used to gathering food, trumpeting, breathing seeking up male
 Chartering young smelling address as a weapon.
 Apart from being organ of having their ears have many blood vessels which facilitate
heat toes which is silent without any cracking sound. ANS:--The feet have a thick layers
allows the Elephants by the use of spoors, The sole of the feats are horny and super
ticially erected.
 The patters of this cracks marked in the spoors
 The patterns cracks make it possible to identify individual Elephant by their spoors.
 The front feet are round and larger feet, WHY?
 More surfaces area is needed to support the enemies weight in front

QSN: Can you determine the shoulder height of Elephant while in the field?

The elephant shoulder height can be of the feet print by 2.5m

WHY ELEPHANTS ARE KNOWN TO BE DESTRUCTIVE?

 They are very destructive in their feed habitats.

 They are pushing over trees or breaking off branches of trees to get the young fresh
foliage.

WHY DO THEY DIG HOLES IN SAND CLOSE TO THE WATER EDGE OF RIVER BANKS?

ANS: They prefer to drive clean filter red water scaping through the sands.

WHICH TYPES OF HABITATS ARE ESSENTIALY FOR ELEPHANT (HABITAT PREFERENSE)

 Essential habitats requirement include clean sweat water a plentiful supply of food in
the form of palatable grasses and browse plants and some shades in which to shelter
during the hot hours of the day.
 Elephant have home range which is very big in size but they don’t have territories.
 Elephant maintain contact with a day

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HYRAXES AND ELEPHANTS

They have the following similarities:-

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 i. PELVIC GIRDLE :-Is straight for both
ii. RADIUS AND ULNA’S:- Twisted in both
iii. TESTERS:-Testers are internal in both
iv. BOTH have tusks
v. Both have gestation period of 18—22 months of Elephant and 8—9 months of Hyraxes

2. RHINOCEROS

RHINOCEROTIDAE FAMILY

CLASSFICATION

Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Order - Perissodactyla

Class - Mammalia

Family - Rhinocerotidae

Genus - Decores and Crate thorium

Species - Bicorns and simum

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In Africa there are two species Rhinoceros which are:-

 Black Rhinoceros [ Diceros bicorns]

 White Rhinoceros [Ceratotherium simum]

These are two different species which cannot interbreed whenever they meet.

ASIANTIC SPECIES

 Asian itself has 3 species of Rhinoceros; this include—

i. Great halian Rhinoceros [Rhinoceros unicoms]
o This rhino has only one horn
o It is found in Nepal and North East India
ii. Java Rhinoceros [ Rhinoceros sandoicus] , Java found in Jungle
swamps of Java Indonesia
iii. Asiatic two horned Rhinoceros [ Didermoceros sumartesis]
This is the smallest of all Rhinos which is most found in Burma
Sumatra to Barnes
TEETH OF RHINO
Rhino do not have incisors or canine teeth only have premolar and molars
COLOURATION
Rhino can found in different colour according to their habitat of wallowing but
the original colour of their skin is grey all of them.
VISION

Their vision is very poor that is why sometimes to charge quickly after sense of hearing and
smelling are good

TOES

Rhino have 3 toes in each foot

MAMMAE

Female Rhinos do normally have 2 teats

HORNS

They have two horns made of Keretin materials which are not hollow but solid mass

BREEDING / REPRODUSCTION

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  Gestation period take 15-17 months
 Birth weight is about 40 kgs
 Shoulder height is 150-160 CM
 Birth Interval 2-4 or 5-6 yrs depending on the quality and quantity of food suitability of
their habitat
 Maturation period is 5-7 yrs for female while 9-15 yrs for males

QSN: How do Rhino horns get used?

i. Used for fighting their rival males

ii. Can be used as a defensive weapon
iii. For breaking higher branches of transform a Black Rhino is a browser
iv. For widon salt ticks
SPEED

The distance in running is 45-50 Km/hr at the short distance.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE RHINO

Black Rhino is well distributed in many parts of Africa particular in East Africa and Central Africa
to South Africa.

Today this Rhino is exiting in many part of East Africa and in Tanzania Black Rhino is only
found naturally in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Serengeti N.Park, Mkomanzi N. Park and
Selous G.Reserve.

WHITE RHINO

 This is out of range in East Africa and if present it has been translocated
 This Rhino found naturally in S. Africa.

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 WALLOWING AND ROLLING IN MUD

Rhinos do wallow as they get different advantages as listed below:

I. To cool their Bare bodies

II. To alleviate itching from Ector -parasites
III. Also it is a social habit

NB:

 Black Rhino is a browser

 White Rhino is a grazer.

HABITAT REQUERES FOR THE RHINO OF AFRICA

 Black Rhino requires bushes country with water in the vicinity

 White Rhino being a grazer needs grass plains with water.
REASONS FOR BEING POACHED
 They are poached almost to extinct due to their reliable parts including horns because of
their habitats
 Also the horns are used as essential in gradient in a society of Asia for medicine for the
treatment of malaria heart ,high fever pneumonia , Sexually diseases, Charm and snake
venom
 In Middle East Countries, Rhino horns are used for the curved diggers .Also feces ,toes,
nail all these are used for variety of local medicine.

NB:

Rhino is among of these mammals of trophy and every part of its body is needed.

TROPHY

Means a valuable part of animals such as Claws, nails, urine, feces and skin.

QSN: Why Rhino have almost become extinct?

 Because of heavily poached

 Lots of natural habitats due to human development expansion.
 Other reasons are as being killed deliberately as a problem animals when doing
settlement a cleaning animals house boundary.
WEIGHT
i. Black Rhinos weight is about 1000-1800 kgs
ii. White Rhinos weight is about 2300-3500 kgs
LONGEVITY
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In the wilderness Rhinos can live about 25-35yrs but in zoos can live about 35-40 yrs

MARKING OF TERRITORY

Males do normally mark their territories by using urine and by dung as they have individual
smell

QSN: How do Rhino react when it is fogy, Chilly or windy?

Normally Rhinos tend to sleep in until when it is clear and warm as they have almost bare skin

QSN: Do the two Rhino differ in colour ?

 No they are not differ in colour both are graying colour

 They only differ in shape and weight
 The name White for the White Rhino is misleading word as the word is “weit” from
African which means wide squared mouth.
 Black Rhino is correctly known as “Black lipped Rhino” but also doesn’t meaning that its
colour is black.
 Their colour change with the colour of the soil or mud and dust have wallowed.

ASSOCIATION WITH OTHERS ANIMALS

Rhinos do associate with cattle egret birds [ox-peckers] which give them alarm when danger
approaches

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WHITE RHINO

 This is the second largest land mammals next to Elephant.

 They have heavier neck which hang to grazer
 It is grazer in southern plains
 It is less aggressive than Black Rhino
 Gestation Period take up to 17 months
 Young lead the way and mother is follower.
 Has a wide square mouth
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BLACK RHINO
 This is small in body size than white rhino
 It is mostly browser than grazing.
 It is very aggressive and cannot be turned
 It has no” reot humy” as white rhino
 Gestation Period takes 15-16 months
 Their young s are the followers while mothers are leading the way when foraging.

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  Black Rhino has prehensile hooked mouth unlike the white rhino.
DE-HORNING
 This well not saves Rhinos as still they will be killed for meat and for revenge.
 Rhino horns being like the finger nails to grow and dehorning has to be repeated.
WORLD WIDE COMPAIN
 To stop sale of any Rhino products was shifted one appendix *2 to CITES
appendix *1
 The decision to ban the sale of Rhino products was reached to save thus animals.
BLACK RHINO

An adult bull Rhino do browser establish a dominance and competition for caws in estrus

HOME RANGE: Varies according to their abundance quality of food as well as availability of
water; so the home range varies from 1kmsq -500kmsq.

QSN: Why Black Rhino has a pre-hensive pointed apper lips?

 This is used to grasp leaves and twigs which are the either snapped off or eat through by
the check.
 This is because Black Rhino mostly browser instead of grazing.

QSN: Why White Rhino has a wide squared mouth?

 This is according to the feeding adaptation to the short grass plains as a grazer.
 Large lips cropping off the grasses.
 They are mainly in hearing and smelling as the eye sight is very poor.
 Rhinos are the only largest surviving perssodactyla which keep the three digits.
 They also have thick skin almost hairless skin well supplied with sweat glands.
 Their horns are unique among other mammals as it is a medicine out grow on the skin,
these horns has no hole inside so it is a solid mass.
 Rhino occur in both Africa and Asia.
 Trade on Rhino horns did not occur in Africa until 1900 when the horns become scars in
far East

THE MAIN DIFFERENT BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE RHINO

i. The body size of White Rhino is larger [2500kgs] and shoulder height is 180 CM.
ii. White Rhino has a squared lipped mouth than Black Rhino is pointed prehensile lips
iii. White Rhino has a neck hump which is missing to Black Rhino.
iv. White Rhinos eye us behind the second horn while Black Rhino their eye is within the
horns
v. White Rhino is a grazer while Black Rhino is a browser
vi. White Rhino are social aggressive while Black Rhinos are Solitary
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vii. When foraging the calves of white rhino lead in front while black rhino calves follow
their mother
viii. White Rhino is a humble while Black Rhino is very aggressive.

SPEEED

The maximum speed is not more than 40-50km/hr

NB:

 Bull/male mature to breed at the age of 9-12 years

 Their calves are able to stand and suckle within 3hrs after birth
 Rhino have no incisors and canine teeth only[ premolars and molars]
 The total number is 12 premolar and 12 molars=24 teeth

3. BUFFALOES

This is the cattle like animals found in order Artiodactyla family bovidae.

CLASSIFICATION
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Kingdom – Animalia

Phylum –Chordata

Order-Artiodactyla

Class-Mammalia

Family-Bovidae

Genus-Synthera

Species-caffer

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BUFFALO

African Buffalo are into two races:-

i. Cape / common buffalo [ synthera caffer caffer]

ii. Red/water buffalo[ synthera caffer nanus]
 The two races freely interbreed whenever they meet.
 The Red buffalo is a small buffalo which is found in forest of west African Countries.
 Old and mature bull tends to roll in mud and dust more than the caws.

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  They are grazer in both short grasses and tall grasses.

HOME RANGE: When Buffaloes are not disturbed by the human being they tend to be both
diurnal and nocturnal, But when subjected by human predations, they prefer to be nocturnal
for security reasons.

WATER

Buffaloes are water dependant that takes 5-6 minutes to drink the required amount which is
about 34liters.

WALLOWING

Although wallowing and dust bulling is connected with aggressive and it has social significance
access as wallow depends on rank and seriously.

NB:

The young animals will give priority to old animals to wallow first, This very important in
Buffaloes to recognize individual and defend predators.

SIGN USED BY BUFFALOES

The dangerous sign given by adult is waaa sound while calves give an alarm sound of maa.

MATURATION

 Calves matured to breed at the age of 3-4yrs sometimes longer due to the food are
scarce.

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  Gestation period takes 10-11 months
 Birth weight is from 35-50 kgs these calve is able to follow their mother for several
hours and remains purely coordinated in group for defense in herds
ANTPREDATION TECHNIQUES
 Buffaloes do form mobbing attacking and running away in fight so as to make difficult
away in fight in order to rescue single member being attacked.
 Mobbing attack is most often by the old males, This accompanied by the distress call.
SPEED

The speed of buffaloes is between 48-56km/hr

DISEASES THAT ATTACK BUFFALOES

 Nagana: Is frequently spread by tsetse fly bite mostly of ungulates

 Rinder Pest: This is a certain diseases which appeared by ticks
 Anthrax: This is a viral diseases that mostly affect ungulates and non- ungulates
 Foot and mouth diseases [F.M.D]: It is high fevers that affect mostly lager mammals.
 Hooves diseases: It occur almost in the wet season and attack mostly ungulates
 Turner of udder and testicles: Affects both male and female ungulates female
affected in the wilder while male in the testicles.
 Rift Valley fever: As they are quickly resembles cattle also well affected by that fever.
BUFFALOES AND COWS
 Buffalo and cow can be hybridizing in zoo when they meet or crossbreed.
 In Buffalo all sex have horn but male are stronger with strong boss and “V” shape
 Buffaloes are testing their natured habitats due to human settlement expansion.
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  First appear at 4months of age and are fully grown at the age of 4-6 years.
 They ruminant with 4 chambers of stomach.

LIFE SPAN

Life span of Buffalo in the wilderness is about20-30yrs while in zoos they can live for 35-40 yrs

Litter size is 1 rare 2 calves.

THE CHIEF PREDATORS OF BUFFALOES

 Human
 Lions

 Spotted Hyenas
 Wild dog for their calves

MEASUREMENTS
 Shoulder height is 170-180 CM.
 Body weight is from 800-1000kgs
NB:

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Buffaloes are hunted for meat since their also palatable to humans also there are hunted and
poached as a trophy.

CHEMBERED OF STOMACH

i. Rumen
ii. Reticulum
iii. Omasum
iv. Abomasum

4. LION

Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Order - Carnivores

Class - Mammalia

Family - Felidae

Genus - Panthera

Species - leo

What is a Lion?

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This is the biggest carnivore in Africa but not in the world as Tiger is the biggest carnivore in the
world. Many people prefer it as a king of the jungle but better to an Elephant to called so.

CHARACTERISTICS OF LION

 It is a predator of all size of ungulate

 Matured male wear manes around its neck and heads
 Coloration is tawny-brown with white sports when young ears base and lips are both
black.
 The most numerous large carnivore reset to spotted hyenas
 Lions are cooperatively and communal suckling ,This is because :-
 They hunt cooperatively and sucks their cubs communally
 They share kills regardless who has killed it.
 They stay in prides composed of related in each pride.
 Male emigrate at the age of 3-4yrs while females stay in the natal pride.
 When males emigrating they form coalition of males defend themselves and to
be able to cooperative hunting.
 Female are good hunters while male are poor in hunting due to :-
 Heavy body weight.
 Presence of manes and body size.
 HOME RANGE of a pride defend against intruders of the same female in a pride are
descending females that have live together for many generation back.

Qsn: What happens when there many females in the pride above the normally home range
caring capacity?

All young female at the age of 2-3yrs should emigrate.

QSN: What happens when there are few females in the pride below the caring capacity of the
home range?

 The young female of other group will immigrate to fill the gaps.
 Male litter mates often stay together after leaving their natal pride.
 They operate as a coalition team to compete. This is how the coalition of males in
formed to established males keeping a territory danger but also for keeping the pride
against the killing male.

QSN: What happens to the pride when a new male takes over a pride?

The killing male has takes over will kill all the cabs present in that pride. This is because he
wants to his own genes by doing this killings will include the females to come into estrus soon.

QSN: What faces the unrelated males to forms a coalition?

The reproductive advantages and the privilege enjoyed by a coalition forces even the unrelated
males to band together to win the pride for the productive advantages.

NB:

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  Cub: a young of Lion
 Pride: The group of lion-seven female with 2 males
 Coalition: The union of 2 or more males of Lion
 Lions are one of the numbers of high social mammals in which in fratricide is vital parts
of males reproduce takes over strategy
 The loss of the cabs course the female to re-enter into estrus within a few days or a
week in steady of a male waiting for a normal birth interval of 1.5 years.
 A male which has just taken over cannot tolerate to wait for this all period.
 Reproductive synchrony is very common within pride. This is because several females
conceive and give birth at about the sometimes then they are for cubs communally.

QSN: What is the importance of communally suckling?

Cubs become stronger because survived rates for the cubs within or pride.

MATING OF LIONS
 N0 fighting for the female on heat period.
 The stronger male wills the one who mates with the female on estrus without any fight.
 If the pride male are of the same rank racing to be the fight to the side of the female on
estrus and the winner will mate with the female and the other male will be at a
distance.
 Lions do mate for about 7 consecutive days.

QSN Biologically: What is the importance of male lions emigrate from the natal pride?

 It dominate the chance of in breeding and favor cross breeding as these young male will
wonder around to take over a new pride to mate with female which are not related to
them and therefore transfer genes to the new blood.
 The second ranking male in the coalition could share up to 20% of other offspring in the
pride that making reproductive worthwhile to stay in coalition.

QSN: How many times taken to kill a prey which has been caught?

 Lions take about 13 minutes for any movement to cease as it kills by strangulation.
 They share the food but cubs are not given any privilege to eat first they compete for
food.
 There is high rate death of cubs during the period of food scarcity as adult will try to
minimize any available food ,cubs will eventually starve to die

FOOD

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  As starring a adult will eat meat equivalent to its body mass but normally dearly and
take about 6-7 kgs
 Nomadic strange are allowed to share the food of the areas are already fully.
 Lions are also scavenging as which there food is left out or sometimes can chase Hyena
and Cheetah from their kills.

QSN: How do they know a kill far away?

 They keep a watch full eye out for Vultures.

 They also respond to the rallying calls of the Hyenas.

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 VOCAL COMMUNICATION

Lions have different vocal communications here are some of them:-

i. Roaring

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 ii. Grunting
iii. Glowling [ kupanua mdomo]

QSN: How do Lion start roaring?

Male at the age of 1yr while female at the age of 1.5yrs.

QSN: How far can roaring heard?

Roaring estimated to be inedible up to 8-10 km away.

FUCTION OF ROARING

 Territorial /home range advertising

 Location of pride members
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MARKINGOF TERRITORY

Lions mark by urine spraying, scuffing the ground with back feet claws.

MATURATION

 Lion undergo maturation at the age of 4-5yrs are now full matured.
 Gestation period takes 3.5 months equivalent to 90-100 days
 Birth Interval is 9-10 months.

QSN: What is the litter size?

The normally litter size for lion is 2-4 cubs.

NB:

 Note that Lions are shower ovulate needing a lot of copulation before ovulations a
copulation occur.
 The pairs will mate every after 15minutes therefore much copulation is necessary to
include ovulation.

QSN: What happens when two females enter in estrus at the same time?

 The dominant male will mate with them at the rate of 3-4 copulation per hours.
 They separate from the pride and keep of distance for the mating ceremony which takes
about 7days.

QSN: Do they hunting while they are mating?

No, Lions don’t hunt during mating only do drink water.

QSN: What is the birth weight of Cub?

Usually the birth weight of the cubs is about 1-2 kgs.

QSN: When do they have their milk teeth?

Milk teeth erupt 25-30 days after born cubs are able to run at 30-35 days.

FACTORS THAT OCCURS WITH THE SCARCITY OF FOOD

 First is starvation for the cubs.

 Abandonment of cubs by their eats

QSN: How much time spent for resting by Lions?

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  Almost is 20-21 hours only for resting this purely conserving of energy.
 This is not as they can hunt any time of a day.
 There is a change at a time for lion to hunt in a forest in a woodland habitat as to hunt
more day time and Lion in the open plains do hunt more the night hours.
SPEED

The maximum speed reached by lion is 48-59 km/hrs.

QSN: How do Lion able to kill and hunt fast animals?

 First they need skills practice and effective judgment to kill fast and big animals.
 Second to kill big largest animals such as buffaloes and giraffe, Lion needs to have
power, strength and higher skills.

QSN: What is the reality charging distance for experience Lion?

An experience Lion will charge with 50m from a quarry.

QSN: How do they get within that range?

 They stall quite and silently to go within that range

 Lions hunt by approaching quite and sink into the available cover to freeze and then
running to within and attack rang and sink again into finally decide what to either attack
or despair.
 In most cases Lioness/ female are good hunter in 85%, Male only help only to bring
down big preys such as male buffaloes and giraffe.

QSN: How do Lions coordinates while le hunting?

There is a change at a time for hunting lions in the forest or in the woodland habitats as to hunt
more day time and in the open plains do hunting more during the night hours.

QSN: Which are the common predators of Lions?

 Are spotted hyenas that kill their cubs which are left alone and also kill sick and weak
lions.
 Lions are the symbols of power strength and ability.

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 5. LEOPARD.

CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

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Order - Curnivore

Class - Mammalia

Family - Felidae {cats family}

Genus - Panthera

Species - pardus.

What is a Leopard?

This is a spotted cat which knowing as a queen of stealth found in the genus Panthera.

IDENTIFICATION

i. Shoulder height is 25-28 inches

ii. Body length without tail is 50 inches
iii. Body weight is from 55-90 kgs
iv. It is among of the big cats with very elegant shape powerfully built body short and
strong legs.
v. Unmistakable cat due to its sports.
vi. Coat dense and soft short marked with numerous black sports in form of rosette on a
dull or yellowish tawny to ground colour.
vii. Have broken bends across the chest.
viii. The colour merges into an even grey when seen at a distance.
ix. Tail long spotted without terminal tuft some individual are black all over.
x. Female are similar to males but small and more lightly bult.
HABITAT

They are much warned habitats from den forest to dry country from sahara border up to
Altitudes on the East Africa mountains.

NB: Leopard occurs in both Africa and Asia.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTCS

a) Leopard is solitary except during mating season when male and female live together.
b) Leopard hunt entirely by night and hide of the day among bushes.
c) They climb trees with the facility cats and often spend the day sleeping in which up to is
fact above the grounds.
d) They are more silent and running than guinea flows to mammals such as warthog,
antelopes and rodents.
e) They particular partial a Monkey & baboons.
f) They may also take fish, poultry cattle sheep and dogs.

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 g) Leopard drinks each day as do rest of the carnivores.
BREEDING
i. Gestation period is 90-100 days
ii. Litter size is 2-3 cubs
iii. Maturity to breed is 2-3 yrs

NB:

 Although they often kill domestics animals are in the whole beneficially to many.
 They are particular found of animal harmful to crop above all baboons
 Harmful crops an important in maintaining the baboons and limiting the members of
these primates.
 The high price of skin resulted in numbers of leopards being slaughtered all over the
Africa.
COMMON PREDATIONS
Their common predations are the spotted hyenas, wild dogs which compete in their
kills.
LONGEVITY

Note more than 18 years old.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEOPARD AND CHEETAH

i. Leopard is a true cat while Cheetah not.

ii. Leopard has a strong built body with short tough legs While Cheetah has slender body,
long and thin legs.
iii. Leopard is ambusher in hunting where it stalks slowly while Cheetah is cursorial hunter
iv. Leopard has a big head while Cheetah has a small rounded head.
v. Claws of leopard are retractile/movable while Cheetah claws are fixed/non movable.
vi. Leopard lacks tear marks while Cheetah has tear marks
vii. Leopard is arboreal while Cheetah is terrestrial
viii. Leopard possess rosette colour while Cheetah has only black and white sports.

THE SMALL FIVE {5}

The chase for the so called “big five” [Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino, Lion and Leopard—repeated by
hunters to be the most dangerous] is a high priority on many journeys.

Nothing wrong with that of course but once the pressure of spare a moments for some
of the smaller ,less glamorous animals that are usually over looked safari.

1. ELEPHANT SHREW –MAMMALS

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They don’t come any smaller than shrews and although the smaller weight only 2grams
each has every sense organ of Elephant 2.8millions times its weight.

Elephant shrew are giants among the midgets weight in at a leaf litter
some are bold potters and can measure 23cm from checquired rump to the end of their
quivering trunk. The best time to see elephant shrew are at Arabuka –Sokoke , FR [ golden
–ramped E.S] , {golden ramped elephant shrews} and Budongo FR [ Chequered elephant
shrew]

2. BUFFALO WEAVER

So called because of their habit of perching on the back of buffaloes and other larger
animals. These large [20 cm] mainly black ,white or black and white members of the weaver
family build a huge until domed nests in which several pairs nests ,Buffalo weavers are
common in savanna sometimes in large flock ;samburu NR a boatant white-headed buffalo
weaver.

3. ANT – LION

Small pits in seal soil indicate the presence of these vavecious [through ting] insect
predators. Ants Blundering along the rim of the open jaws of the ant-lion waiting buried in
the sand below - few escape .Despite their fear sometime, anti-lions are actually the larvae
of lacewings harms fly insect with transparent wings look for ant-lions pits in sheltered seal
soil.

4. LEOPARD TORTOISE [Stigmochelys pardalis]

Is large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern
Africa, it is only member of the genus Stigmochelys, although in the past was common
placed in Geochelone. This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semi-arid, thorny to
grassland habitats. In both very hot and very cold weather they may dwell in abandoned
fox, jackal, or aardvark. Leopard tortoise does not dig other than to make nests in which to
lay eggs. Given its propensity for grassland habitats, it grazes extensively up on mixed
grasses .It also fever succulents and thistles.

5. RHINOCEROS BEETLE
This are insect the rain forest male have hornlike projections on their heard. But on safari
you’re likely to see dung beetle {pictured rolling bulls of dung beetle.

It army of dung beetle of many species buries a massive to manage their eggs of larvae
recycle the west materials and themselves home food for insect eating

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