Africa's Big Five

Of all Africa's wildlife, none has captured the imagination more than those species that have come over the years to be known as the big five. Whether the biggest, the most beautiful, the fiercest or most formidable, these animals are the ones that have the power to remind us of our insignificance in the face of the true kings of the savannas. This is a truly magnificent record of Africa's Big Five.

William Taylor, a resident of the Waterberg region, is part of a consortium of conservationists set on preserving the natural splendor of the Waterberg.

Richard du Toit specializes in photographing wild animals and plants in their natural environments and he works as a freelance photographer, travelling throughout southern Africa in search of images. He has been widely published internationally, and is based in Johannesburg.

GERALD HINDE spent 30 years as the director of a large family business before leaving his business cares behind in 1989 and taking up a new career in the African bush. He has won a string of photographic awards in competitions, including the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, Afga Wildlife Awards (overall winner, 2000), UN Environment Program International Wildlife Photographic Competition and the Fuji Profoto Awards. His photographs appear in Gamedrive, Leopard, An African Experience and Africa's Big Five, Images from a Timeless Wilderness, Catching the Moment and Cats of Africa. His work has been published widely in national and international magazines, and on calendars and postcards.