darkest africa - big game

...colonial africa miniatures project...

Big Game Hunt
Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter - African Proverb

manufacturer: Foundry, Copplestone, Pulp Figures
sculptor: Mark Copplestone, Bob Murch
painted: November 2006

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 lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard 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.