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It’s the Big 5 Week at ThePlanetD!

Starting tomorrow, we’ll be posting an incredible animal photograph from our Kenya Safari with Expedia.com What’s even better is that we are going to give you one downloadable photograph each day for the next 6 days! Then as a Christmas bonus one lucky reader will win a 16X24 Lustre Print of the image of their choice.

Why six days when there are only five Big 5? Well, we love the cheetah too and while it may not have been a popular trophy from years past, it is one of the most exciting animals to see in wild Africa. Plus, we want to give you a downloadable photo each day from Sunday to Friday, so the cheetah was the obvious choice!

A Teaser Wildlife Photo

This is the First Cheetah we spotted. He was laying on a rock while basking in the late day sun.

You don’t receive your photo today though, it all starts tomorrow. But I wanted to put this shot up to show you just how incredible the photos are that Dave captured in Kenya. He rented a giant 500 mm lens to capture National Geographic-like photographs. When I look at his shots, my jaw drops and yours will too.

The Story of the Big 5

The idea of the Big 5 safari animals came along during the times of Hemingway and Roosevelt who spent their days decimating the African landscape by hunting and killing off the wildlife. Ok, I’m being rough on old Hemingway and Roosevelt, it wasn’t only them, it was half of the rich and elite from around the world who swarmed to Africa to collect their wildlife trophies.

The Big 5 was decided upon because of their difficulty to kill by foot. These are the 5 most dangerous animals in the African Savanna. You don’t want to meet up with these Big 5 in the open, but you sure work hard to see them with your camera lens.

What are the Big 5

The photographs below were taken with our iPhone. Imagine, if I could snap shots like this with the iPhone, what did Dave do with his incredible eye and proper equipment? Tune in tomorrow to see the first shot!

These two lions walked right in front of our safari jeep. We watched them hunt for at least an hour.

1. Lion - The King of the animals. Lions are difficult to spot as they lay in the long grasses beside shrubs and bushes. It took us awhile to spot our first lion, but once we did, we knew what to look for and ended up seeing them every day. Male Lions, baby cubs, females on the hunt and lions with a kill, we saw them all. They’re fascinating to watch.

2. Black Rhino – Most people who we’ve met out here in Kenya haven’t seen a black rhino during their travels in Kenya. That’s because they didn’t go to Lake Nukuru. Lake Nukuru is known for its settlement of pink flamingos, but it also hosts a population of both the black and white rhino. The black and white rhino are both equally dangerous, but for some reason, big game hunters preferred the black rhino to take home as their trophy. Hence the reason it is more endangered than the white rhino.

Dave used this lens to capture the wildlife up close. The Leopard is elusive and camera shy, but not with this lens.

3. Leopard - Leopards are the hardest to see and if you do manage to view a Leopard in the wild. It is a special moment. Well, we managed to see three! We caught sight of them thanks to our talented guide Macau of  Journeys International in all different scenarios. One in a tree with a kill, one who climbed down his perch and walked away and one hiding in the branches. Dave took photographs so close, you could see the light reflect in the Leopards eyes.

4. Cape Buffalo - “Cape Buffalo?” You ask. Yes, Cape Buffalo. This is one dangerous animal. Everyone we talked to said that the buffalo is the most dangerous animal to come across. Especially one that is alone. They have killed more humans than any of the Big 5 and are up there with crocodiles and hippos as the number one killer in Africa. Cape Buffalos can be seen everywhere. They litter the plains of Africa and when you look into their eyes, they are so cute. But don’t get to close. They’ll charge you and take you down in an instant.

Elephants walked slowly and steadily towards us at Sunset. We had to be back at the lodge in 15 minutes before they send out the search party, but we couldn’t take our eyes away.

5. Africa Elephant - At both Amboseli and the Masai Mara, you’ll see herds of elephants walking calmly and deliberately over the Afrcian Savanna. They protect their young and march with ease across the great plains. They are the most beautiful, peaceful and striking animals out there. You can see them from miles away and each moment that you come across them, you must stop in your tracks to take in their majesty just one last time.

Big Five and a Cheetah: The Giveaway

So, there you have it. The African Big 5…and a cheetah will be downloadable all week long starting tomorrow. The downloadable images will only be available on the day they are posted. Once the day is over, you’ll have to wait for the next photo.  So stay tuned and prepare to start your collection of The African Big 5.

Day 1: The Cape Buffalo

We were sent to Kenya with Expedia.com to search for the big 5. Expedia held a poll on their facebook page and the fans spoke, they wanted to see ThePlanetD on Safari. Stay tuned for more #ExpediaThePlanetD in Kenya and follow along on Twitter.