<P> The 1990 and later releases of South African rand banknotes feature a different big - five animal on each denomination . </P> <P> Countries where all the members of the big five can be found include Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Malawi . </P> <P> The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is a very large herbivore having thick, almost hairless skin, a long, flexible, prehensile trunk, upper incisors forming long curved tusks of ivory, and large, fan - shaped ears . The two distinct species of African elephant are: African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) and the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). Elephants are difficult to hunt because, despite their large size, they are able to hide in tall grass and are more likely to charge than the other species . </P> <P> The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is a large herbivore having two upright horns on the nasal bridge . Its thick (1.5--5 cm) protective skin, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure, is very hard to puncture . In the context of big - game hunting in Africa, the term "rhinoceros" may refer to either the black or the white rhinoceros . Among big five game hunters, the black rhinoceros is preferred, although it is now critically endangered, and hunting is extremely limited due to this . </P>

The big five animals to see in africa