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KRUGER NATIONAL PARK & PRIVATE RESERVES NEAR KRUGER PARK
KRUGER PARK
Majestic in its size and rich in its free roaming wildlife, the Kruger National Park which is almost 2 000 000 ha, is a true heaven of the wild. The savannah and African bush country is bounded by the Crocodile River in the south, the Limpopo River to the north, the Mozambique border to the east and a man made barrier to the west.
The Kruger National Park is big game country in which lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and tens of thousands of antelope roam the sunlit plains. In no other wildlife sanctuary worldwide is such an abundance of wildlife so readily and easily accessible for holidaymakers and adventures as can be found in the Kruger Park. In general, the area’s climate is subtropical and the warmth of its days and the cool nights provide a pleasant game viewing experience throughout the year.
ANIMALS & BIRDS
The rich game population in the Kruger Park includes 147 species of bird, 114 species of reptile, 49 species of fish, 34 species of amphibian and over 200 species of butterfly. The Kruger National Park has five main botanical divisions. The environment and natural food of each area determine the variety and density of wildlife within its boundaries.
HISTORY OF THE KRUGER PARK
In 1898, President Paul Krueger signed a proclamation establishing a sanctuary for wildlife between the Sabie and Crocodile rivers. The Sabie Game Reserve, the original name of the Kruger National Park, was the first large wildlife reserve on the African continent. On a continent where wild animals and man had been fighting a war of extermination since prehistoric times, this was man’s first offer of a friendship. Therefore the Kruger National Park will always be seen as the prototype of wildlife sanctuaries on the Africa continent.
PRIVATE RESERVES IN THE KRUGER PARK
On the western borders of the Kruger National Park, numerous small private game reserves, featuring luxurious as well as rustic African safari lodges, await the travelers. Three private nature reserves that are believed to be among the largest such wildlife sanctuaries in the world are: Klaserie, Sabie Sand and Timbavati. Each game reserve consists of several independent game properties. There are no fences between the game lodges and therefore wildlife wanders freely across the reserves.
Sabi Sand features several game lodges which include Inyati Game Lodge, Londolozi Game Lodge, Mala Mala Game Lodge, Singita Game Lodge, Leopard Hills Game Lodge, Lions Sands Game Lodge, Ulusaba Game Lodge, and Sabi Sabi Game Lodge.
Tucked between Timbavati and Sabi Sand lies the Manyeleti Game Reserve.
SABI SAND GAME RESERVE / KRUGER PARK
Sabi Sand is recognized as one of the most luxurious and exclusive private game sanctuaries in the world. The numerous game lodges in Sabi Sands which are spread over nearly three quarters of the 60 000 ha reserve are famous for their African style atmosphere and the high standards of service provided to the guests.
Amongst the most famous lodges located in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve are Londolozi Game Lodge, Sabi Sabi Game Lodge, Singita Game Lodge as well as the Ulusaba Game Lodge.
The Sabi Sands Game Reserve shares an unfenced boundary with the Kruger National Park, therefore animals can roam freely. The Sand River and the Sabi River supply water in the dry season and establish an eco-system with one of the highest and most bio-diverse wildlife populations in Southern Africa. Therefore the density of the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, buffalo and elephant) is very high.
MANYELETI GAME RESERVE / KRUGER PARK
During the early 1960s, the South African government began buying up farms adjoining the Kruger National Park for the purpose of resettling local families. One owner of a farm located in that area refused to sell unless the government turned it into a nature reserve. Thereby the Manyeleti Game Reserve was established which now forms a 23 000 ha section of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
The fenceless borders Manyeleti Game Reserve shares with the Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Reserve as well as the Timbavati Game Reserve, provides a vast area where African wildlife can roam freely.
TIMBAVATI GAME RESERVE
The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is famous for its white lion and what is said to be the densest giraffe population in the world. It was established mid 1950s when a landowner advised his neighbors to help create a private Kruger Park for their mutual benefit.
Timbavati Nature Reserve is located north of the Sabi Sand Reserve on the western region of the Kruger National Park and is considered to be one of South Africa’s prime game viewing areas. The Timbavati Game Reserve falls within the boundaries if the Kruger National Park.
THORNYBUSH GAME RESERVE / KRUGER PARK
The Thornybush Game Reserve (10 000 ha) is home to a large variety of mammals, including the Big Five and an abundance of birds. It is located on a vast area of Lowveld wilderness adjacent to the Kruger National Park. The vegetation at the Thornybush Game Reserve is as rich as the wildlife found here, with mixed woodland acacia and marula veld, and grasslands ranging from short rolling grass to waving blue buffalo.
Like other Lodges in the Lowveld, the Thornybush Game Lodges provide game drives in open 4x4 vehicles in the early mornings and late afternoons with professional trackers and rangers.
MAKALALI RESOURCE RESERVE / KRUGER PARK
This large game reserve, 10 000 ha near Hoedspruit and Phalaborwa, is located on the banks of the Makhutswi River. The landscape is dominated by a dusty combination of rugged bushveld, hills, mopane woodland and lush riverine thickets while in the far distance the Drakensberg mountains can bee seen.
The Malalali Game Reserve is home to the Big Five as well as the rare sable antelope and numerous buck species. The birdlife and reptiles in this region are large in numbers.
SEASONS IN THE KRUGER PARK
The rainy season in the Greater Kruger National Park is characterized by its subtropical weather with hot rainy summers and thunderstorms which start in October and end around March. After the long dry season the bushland comes to life as soon as the first rains come. The waterholes fill up, the foliage becomes thicker and the landscape looks lush and green.
The dry season spans from April to September, which are the cooler winter months. The days are comfortably warm but the nights are fairly cold. As the bush is not covered with leaves and long grasses, game viewing is excellent during the dry season.
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