Wildlife Icons

Life isn't easy for Africa's big five megafauna. Lions, leopards, buffalo, rhinos and elephants face many threats, from competing for food in a limited landscape to avoiding hunters and poachers. Explore the incredible adaptations of each species.

Meerkats may be small and vulnerable, but they are tenacious characters. Together, they are a force to be reckoned with. For this growing family, teamwork is not just keeping them alive, it is also helping them thrive.

There are more species of beetle in the world than any other animal, and few play a role as important as the humble dung beetle. These tiny counterparts to Africa's giant plant eaters bring balance to a system that supports life like no other.

South Africa's Kruger National Park contains diverse habitats and is home to hundreds of species of mammals, birds, and reptiles. This abundance of animals means many predators, including Africa's big cats.

From their time as dangerous adversaries to colonialist hunters to the ever-present and considerable challenges of daily life, for the lion, African elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino, life isn't easy when you're big in the wild.

From the dry deserts of the west to the moist savannas of the east, these two species are pivotal in the success of both plants and animals living across this divide.