The phrase Big Five game was coined by big game hunters and refers to the five large mammals that were originally most sought in Africa. The term is still used in most tourist and wildlife guides that discuss African wildlife.

The collection consists of the buffalo,elephant, leopard, lion and and black rhinoceros. The members of the big five were chosen for the difficulty in hunting them and not their size, which is why the leopard is on the list and the enormous hippopotamus (noted for lazing around in pools and rivers all day) is absent. The big five are among the most dangerous mammals. 

Buffalo
Cape Buffalo are quite intimidating. They are the most dangerous of the "Big Five" game animals for hunters. They are definitely bovine characters, but also primal and with slightly mean appearance at times, despite the bouffant look of their horns.

Elephant
The Elephant is one of three very large herbivorous mammals, Elephas maximus of south-central Asia, or Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis, both of Africa, having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and, in the African species, large fan-shaped ears.

Leopard
Leopards are large, ferocious cats (Panthera pardus) of Africa and southern Asia, having either tawny fur with dark rosette-like markings or black fur, and are the epitome of elegant cats. They often eat and store food in trees.

Lion
The Lion is a large carnivorous feline mammal (Panthera leo) of Africa and northwest India, having a short tawny coat, a tufted tail, and, in the male, a heavy mane around the neck and shoulders.

Rhino
The Rhinoceros is any of several large, thick-skinned, herbivorous mammals of the family Rhinocerotidae, of Africa and Asia, having one or two upright horns on the snout.