Big Game Safari in Zambia Jagdreise -

(Loxodonta africana)

The African elephant is the largest land mammal currently living on Earth. With a shoulder height exceeding three meters and a weight of around 5 tons, it is a truly awe-inspiring presence—especially during a hunt, which often requires the hunter to stalk as close as 20 meters to a mature bull.

In countries managed under CITES quotas, its populations are primarily threatened by poaching and habitat loss driven by illegal settlers or nomadic encroachment. Regulated, fair-chase hunting poses no threat to the survival of the species; rather, it helps secure its future. By involving the local rural population through revenue-sharing programs and the distribution of meat, alongside the constant field presence of professional hunters, hunting provides a strong incentive to protect the species and its habitat.

(Hippopotamus amphibius)

After elephants, the hippopotamus ranks as one of the heaviest land mammals on earth. It can reach a head-body length of up to five meters and weights of up to 4.5 tons. Spending most of the day in or immediately adjacent to the water, hippos regularly come ashore at night to graze (äsen) before returning to the water at dawn. During these movements, they follow well-established game trails (Wechsel). Despite their lumbering appearance, they can run at speeds of up to 45 km/h for short distances, making them a highly dangerous and serious adversary for a hunter, particularly when encountered on land.

(Syncerus caffer)

The Cape buffalo inhabits a wide variety of environments, ranging from dense rainforests to open savannas. In mountainous regions, it can be found at altitudes of up to 3,000 meters. The largest populations occur in moist savannas that offer a year-round supply of drinking water, grasses, and densely vegetated retreat areas. Large, mature bulls can reach a shoulder height of 1.70 meters, a head-body length of 3.40 meters, and weights of up to 1,000 kilograms.

(Crocodylus niloticus)

The species Crocodylus niloticus, a member of the true crocodile family, is widely found across Southern Africa. The Nile crocodile typically reaches lengths of three to four meters, though exceptional, capital specimens can grow up to 5 meters. As ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals, crocodiles require extensive sunbathing to aid their digestion, which is why they are frequently found on sandbanks or riverbanks during the day. At the slightest disturbance, they disappear into the water—often with lightning speed despite their massive size. Although classified as vulnerable until 1996, the species is now listed on the IUCN Red List as "Least Concern" (not threatened).