Big Five - A poem by Fliss Teague

The Big Five is five animals that make an ace safari show: 
their names are lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo!
In fact, some beasts are bigger, but being Big’s about much more than size:
the ancient hunters said, of all they hunt, these are the wildest guys!
 
The lion is the King of Beasts! And so, the lioness is Queen;
these big cats rule the vast savanna, roaring loudly, looking mean!
They wear gold coats and each male has a massive mane around his head;
the females hunt upon the plains, while King Beasts are asleep in bed!
 
The rhino roams the woods and grasslands in thick skins of brown or grey;
this species has two horns upon its nose, to keep big cats away!
The horns are also used to feed – to dig up roots, break branches too;
when rhinos sense a threat, they charge – they’re fast – make sure they don’t catch you!
 
The leopard is another cat, though smaller than the King of Beasts;
each has a hide of glorious rosettes and loves some good meat feasts!
they kill their prey then drag it up a tree within their massive jaws;
the sounds they make are many – purrs and meows to grunts and snarly roars!
 
 The elephant strides over deserts, through the forests and the woods;
for drinking, each has one long trunk; for keeping cool, huge ears, like hoods!
they use their tusks to dig, to strip the bark from thorn trees, and to fight;
they are the largest living animals on Earth – a splendid sight!
 
 And finally, the buffalo lives in the floodplains, swamps, and reeds;
you might think, “Well, that’s just a cow!”, on seeing how it stands and feeds!
but check out those huge horns with shield of bone between them, called the boss;
and soon you’ll realise, this is one big bovine you don’t want to cross! 
 
 Remember what the ancient hunters said, these are the wildest guys;
that some beasts may be bigger, but being Big is more than just a size!
their names are lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo;
the Big Five fiercest animals that make an ace safari show!