New ‘big five’ animals of wildlife photography revealed

New list aims to create ‘bucket list’ for wildlife lovers and photography enthusiasts to spot, Samuel Osborne writes

New list is made up of animals to see in the wild and shoot with a camera (Big 5 Project/PA)

Elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and lions have been chosen as the new “big five” animals to photograph.

Unlike the old big five, while listed the five toughest animals in Africa for colonial-era hunters to shoot and kill, the new list ranks animals people see in the wild and shoot with a camera.

After a year-long global vote, more than 50,000 wildlife lovers around the world chose the five animals.

The initiative by photographer and journalist Graeme Green was backed by conservation organisations, photographers and experts.

It aims to celebrate nature and create a “bucket list” for wildlife lovers and photography enthusiasts to spot in their lifetimes.

Lion cubs playing in a tree (Carole Deschuymere/PA)

Mr Green said the new big five were “not just some of the most beautiful, incredible animals on the planet” but also all “face serious threats to their existence”.

He added: "The new big five are the tip of the iceberg. They stand for all the creatures on the planet, so many of which are in danger.

"From bees to blue whales, all wildlife is essential to the balance of nature, to healthy ecosystems and to the future of our planet."

An African elephant and her calf in Masai Mara, Kenya (Priyanshi Bachhawat Nahata/PA)

The original Big Five were lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffalo.

A young gorilla (Vladimir Cech Jr/PA)

The initiative was supported by more than 250 of the world's wildlife photographers, conservationists and wildlife charities, as well as famous names including environmentalist and presenter Chris Packham and actress Joanna Lumley.