Safari Drives & Walks
The Tshukudu Bush Lodge conducts guided game drives twice a day, one in the early morning and one late in the afternoon. Walking safaris are also available upon request in the guidance of professional trackers.
The malaria-free Pilanesberg National Park is administered by the North West Parks and Tourism Board and is with its 55 000 hectares the fourth largest national park in the country.
The crater of a long extinct volcano dominates the Pilanesberg National Park. The crater is a fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1300 million years ago. Pilanesberg is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world. It's rare rock types and structure make it a unique geological feature. Over time, wind and water have carved a spectacular landscape with rocky outcrops, open grasslands, wooded valleys, and thickets.
Besides the 'Big Five' visitors also have the opportunity to encounter the nocturnal brown hyena, cheetah, hippo, crocodile and even sable. The Pilanesberg mountains offer guests sightings of a wide diversity of animal and plant life including 360 species of birds, the Big Five and almost every type of animal found in Southern Africa.
The Pilanesberg National Park exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as "Bushveld". Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone.
Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually home in arid areas are found cohabiting with moist-area-limited impala, black eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees. Wildlife includes lions, elephants, white and black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, hippos, and crocodiles.
The bird life diversity in the Pilanesberg National Park is outstanding. While some birds are migrants, many are permanent inhabitants. Their food sources vary with some eating carrion or live prey while others eat seeds, fruit or tiny water organisms.