Kruger National Park
Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces , South Africa
In 1898, Paul Kruger – then president of South Africa - officially recognised a ‘Government Wildlife Park’ to control hunting and protect diminished natural resources. This park would later be known as the Sabi Game Reserve and was expanded into the Kruger National Park in 1926. Today the park is nearly two million hectares and is one of the most fertile and abundant wildlife sanctuaries in the world. It has recently been expanded to incorporate adjoining conservation areas in Mozambique and Zimbabwe to form the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
Five hours from Johannesburg and one hour from Nelspruit, the Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s iconic safari destinations. The Kruger is world-renowned as one of the most diverse and rich bio-diversity hotspots on the planet. Fauna and flora include:
- 336 tree species
- 49 fish species,
- 34 different amphibians,
- 114 reptile species
- 507 species of birds and
- 147 mammal species
The Kruger Park’s size and positioning in South Africa’s Lowveld region gives the reserve incredible variations in terrain and habitats which have spawned a multitude of life. It covers 19,633 square kilometres (7,580 square miles) and extends 350 kilometres (220 miles) from north to south and 60 kilometres (37 miles) from east to west which is a greater area than the size of Wales. The Kruger is one of the biggest on-going conservation initiatives in the world and is home to many leading scientists in their respective fields. All these men and women work tirelessly to keep this fragile ecosystem stable – making Kruger a pioneer in wildlife conservation management.
Northern Kruger
Northern Kruger is a very different section of the park but equally as rewarding to visitors with outstanding birdlife and iconic South African panoramas. Wide open spaces and typically dry Mopane bush scrub make it easy to spot a great number of birds, mammals and reptiles during the dry winter months. Northern Kruger is a birdwatcher’s paradise and most of Kruger’s flagship bird species are found up here including many rare species and ‘lifers’.
Private Camps and Lodges in Northern Kruger:
Central Kruger
The Central section of the Kruger is most noted for its sprawling savannah woodland which supports a vast number of herbivores and healthy populations of predators. The Ivory Route is great for elephant sightings and Letaba Camp is home to the Kruger’s well known elephant museum, celebrating these great pachyderms and the legendary super tuskers that have roamed the park. The spectacular Olifants River has three breath-taking lookout points which offer guests good chances of seeing a variety of game making their way to the river. One will notice an incredible diversity in terrain from the seemingly symmetrical Mopane woodland belt in the north to the more rugged knob-thorn and marula veld of the central plains around Satara.
Private Camps and Lodges in Central Kruger:
Southern Kruger
The more densely populated south is understandably the most popular and active tourist area in the Kruger with a huge amount of game concentrated in the lush and fertile terrain around Skukuza, Lower Sabie, Crocodile Bridge and the open plains south of Pretoriouskop. While sightings of the Big 5 are frequent, one can expect to see a good deal of other creatures in this area as well. Cheetah, African wild dog and sable antelope are often seen in the south. The south also hosts high densities of white rhino.
Private Camps and Lodges in Southern Kruger: