From their time as dangerous adversaries to colonialist hunters, who coined the term The Big 5, to the ever-present and considerable challenges of daily life, for the lion, African elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino, life isn't easy when you're big in the wild. Aside from the challenges of surviving in their tough environments, they also have to endure hunting and poaching. Lions and elephants are both classified as vulnerable and leopards are classified as near threatened. The black and white rhinoceros are both classified as critically endangered.