WILDLIFE SAFARIS : THE FACTS
South Africa’s premier reserve covers immense slice of Lowveld territory – 19 488 km² (7 524 miles²) of it, which is about the size of Wales, larger than the state of Israel. It lies in the savanna-type bushveld between the Crocodile River in the south and the Limpopo River, 350 km (217 miles) to the north (the Limpopo River is South Africa’s common border with Zimbabwe). To the east, along the Lebombo Mountains, is Mozambique. The park’s dogleg western perimeter borders on a trio of large, privately owned wilderness areas.

The 19 rest-camps, differing in size and character are pleasant, tree-shaded oases in a magnificent setting, linked to each other by a 2 000 km (1 243 mile) road network; within leisurely driving distance of each camp are waterholes, view-sites, picnic spots and a wealth of scenic and wildlife splendor. Despite all this, though – the Kruger remains unspoiled. Everything introduced by man – the rest –camps, the “designated areas”, the routes and the “visual bands” that run along either side of them – takes up less than three percent of the total area. The remaining 97% belongs to Nature. The camps and roads are “merely windows looking out into the wilderness”.

The Kruger is a haven for more varieties of wildlife than any other game sanctuary in Africa: 137 species of mammal, 112 species of reptile (including 50 snakes) 49 of fish, 33 of amphibian and 227 of butterfly. For the bird-watcher, especially, the Kruger has enormous appeal: over 500 avian species have been recorded. It’s a fascinating region for the botanist and lovers of trees as well: there are about 400 species of tree, not to mention the myriad of shrubs, grasses, worts, bulbous plants and aloes. All these forms of life, together with the un-countable insects and micro-organisms, combine to create a coherent habitat, a system of gene pools in infinitely delicate balance, and in which the cycle of life is sustained by collective dependence.

The game complement, naturally, includes the “big five”: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino. Most numerous of the larger species are the impala, some 120 000 head in total: medium sized buck that one sees everywhere (but worth more than a passing glance: they are graceful animals, and remarkable ones in flight – the whole herd moves in beautifully synchronized fashion, leaping prodigiously and in concert over the ground. Other game figures (approximate ones, since censuses are taken at regular intervals and the numbers change from year to year) are: zebra 30 500; wildebeest 13 500; kudu 10 500; giraffe 5 000; waterbuck 4 000; warthog 3 000; hippo 3 000; sable antelope 2 000; reedbuck 1 000; tsessebe 900; eland 800; wild dog 300.

Vegetation - broadly speaking, the Kruger can be quartered according to plant type. South of the Olifants River, which more or less bisects the park, the western section is distinguished by its acacia, combretum, marula and red bushwillow species, while to the east are the broad grazing lands of buffalo grass and red grass shaded by knobthorn. Fairly tall, butterfly-leafed mopane trees and the rugged bushwillow dominate the lands north-west of the Olifants, stunted mopane the north-east. Distinct from all these are the strips of dense riverine vegetation often graced by sycamore fig and Natal mahogany. Far to the north, around Pafuri and Punda Maria, the climate and cover changes. This is a unique and, in geophysical terms, quite remarkable region, the meeting place of fully nine of Africa’s major ecosystems. Here there is bushveld and wetland, sandveld, grassy plain and green forest, rolling woodland and broad lava flat granite hill and spectacular gorges.  A land of stunning contrasts, the kaleidoscopic elements complemented by a startling variety of animals and birds, bushes and trees. Many species are found in few other areas. Especially notable are the mahogany and ebony trees, and the groves of ghostly fever trees standing pale in the silent riverine jungle; the Mashikiri’s giant and ancient baobabs; the massive Lebombo ironwoods, and the prolific game of the Hlamalala plain.

The seasons: The Kruger's climate is generally subtropical. Summer temperatures often reach a high 40º C (104° F) and more, though the daytime average is about 30° C (86° F), cooling down to just below 20° C (68° F) at night. Summer is also the wet season: on a typical day during the months from November to February the storm clouds, great billowing masses of cumulonimbus, will begin building up from about lunchtime to release their full fury in late afternoon. These thunderstorms are generally brief, but are accompanied by torrential rain and can be of quite frightening proportions while they last. Rainfall tends to be heaviest in the southern regions, averaging about 740 mm at Pretoriuskop camp, in contrast to the fairly modest 440 mm in the northern Luvuvhu River area, though the charmingly old-fashioned Punda Maria, the northernmost camp, is set on relatively high ground and enjoys better than average precipitation.

Winters are dry, the days pleasantly warm and the nights and early mornings cool, often downright cold, the temperatures falling below zero. All this has its relevance in deciding when to visit the park, though it is difficult to offer an unqualified recommendation. In winter the streams (there are six perennial rivers and numerous seasonal watercourses in the park) are reduced to a trickle, and the wildlife tends to congregate around what water there is, and the vegetation is sparser, so it’s easier to see the animals, and see them in greater numbers, in the cooler months.  But in many ways the park is at its worst during the winter, the earth parched and dusty, the colours drab. In startling contrast is the green abundance of spring and summer, when the rivers flow, the pools fill and the bushveld takes on a rich luxuriance, nurturing the game back to health and vitality, drawing the migrating flocks of birds. Climate, of course, largely determines the nature of the vegetation, which in turn has a major influence on the distribution of wildlife.

The rest camps:
The Kruger offers an impressive variety of accommodation, ranging from the simple to the luxurious, in its 24 camps, five of which are small, private clusters of huts and chalets available only on a block booking basis and one of which is reserved for campers. They are refreshingly restful places, fenced against the animals, neatly laid out, graced by trees and flowering plants and stretches of lawn. Many of the rondawels and bungalows are air-conditioned, surprisingly spacious, attractively thatched.

Each camp incorporates a caravan and camping area (with communal facilities). Camp routine is informal and undemanding, the emphasis on low –cost outdoor living. One usually cooks one’s own meals – indoors, if the bungalow has its own kitchen, or on the braai (barbecue) unit just outside. There are also communal field kitchens, and braai facilities at the designated picnic spots. You can either stock up before you arrive or at the camp’s shop, which will sell you fresh meat, groceries, beer, wines and spirits, dry goods, photographic film, reading matter curios and oddments. A pleasant mealtime alternative is the camps licensed restaurant, a rather casual place that serves adequate food in a friendly atmosphere. Many of the Kruger’s restaurants are strategically sited to overlook river or deep valley, and pre-dinner drinks on the terrace, taken as the sun dips low and the golden light spreads, fill a magical hour of the day.

Most comfortable of the different types of units available are the guest cottages, built by private organizations or affluent individuals for their own occupancy but available for hire when not in use. They vary in size and style; some are large (designed for up to nine people) and, usually, beautifully fitted out.  There is, though, plenty of less exclusive bur very adequate accommodation. A typical family cottage is air-conditioned and comprises two two-bed rooms, bathroom, toilet, small kitchen (gas stove, fridge, cutlery and crockery, utensils) and gauzed—in verandah. Lower down the scale are one-roomed, two and three-bed units with shower and toilet, and the rather basic two to five-bed huts (handbasin only, cold water) close to an ablution block.