Kruger National Park is the oldest and biggest National Park in South Africa.
The Kruger National Park is home to five vegetation zones, each with their own special flair and diverse range of species. From arid semi-desert to thickly wooded areas with flowering trees, it’s a mixed bag of remarkable nature at its best.
All of Africa’s iconic safari species – elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, hippo and zebra – thrive here. The Kruger National Park is home to over 12,000 elephants, 27,000 African Buffalo, 2,000 leopards and 2,800 lions. It’s also regarded as the best place in the world to see a leopard.
The African rhino is divided into two species, the black rhino and the white rhino. White rhinos mainly live in South Africa, but they have also been reintroduced to Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Southern white rhinos have been introduced to Kenya, Zambia, and Cote d’Ivoire.
On average, one rhino is still poached every 16 hours. Most of the rhinos poached last year were killed in Namibia and South Africa. In both countries, poachers have shifted their focus to new places. Tragically, poaching in Namibia almost doubled last year: 87 rhinos were killed in 2022 (up from 45 the year before).
The most common reason for rhino poaching is to meet the high demand for their horns in Asian countries, where the horn is predominantly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine but is increasingly being used as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Currently, 2,056 black rhinos and 12,968 white rhinos are estimated to remain for a total of more than 15,000. Almost 10,000 rhinos have been lost to poaching in South Africa since the start of this crisis in 2007. In 2022, 124 rhinos were killed in Kruger National Park.
With no horns present, there is no reason for wildlife criminals to target and kill rhinos, so dehorning is an effective, temporary safeguard against poaching. It causes no pain to the rhino, and the horns will eventually grow back, just like our own hair or fingernails.
Lions are highly territorial and occupy the same area for generations. Females actively defend their territories against other females, while resident males protect prides from rival coalitions.
Territory size depends on prey abundance, as well as access to water and denning sites.
Males defend the pride’s territory, marking the area with urine, roaring menacingly to warn intruders, and chasing off animals that encroach on their turf. Female lions are the pride’s primary hunters and leaders.
It is standard lion behavior to fight for dominance in a pride. A male lion’s gorgeous, thick mane serves as both a status symbol and a neck protector in a battle. The present male or coalition of males will fight if another male attempts to take over the pride.
A male lion may banish his kin from the pride if there is a possibility of him becoming competition. Thereafter, the male lion, now old enough, must form his own pride. They do this by taking over another lion’s pride. Lions in a pride protect each other from outsiders and predators.
Male courtship behaviour usually entails lots of head rubbing with the female, urine spraying, licking his genitals and patiently following her. When the lioness is ready and presents, the male will try to grip her neck before mounting.
A recent study led by Panthera suggests that the targeted poaching of lions for their skin, teeth, claws, and bones accounts for 35% of known human-related lion killings. However, retaliatory killings from human-lion conflict is still their main threat.
Territory size depends on prey abundance, as well as access to water and denning sites.
Males defend the pride’s territory, marking the area with urine, roaring menacingly to warn intruders, and chasing off animals that encroach on their turf. Female lions are the pride’s primary hunters and leaders.
It is standard lion behavior to fight for dominance in a pride. A male lion’s gorgeous, thick mane serves as both a status symbol and a neck protector in a battle. The present male or coalition of males will fight if another male attempts to take over the pride.
A male lion may banish his kin from the pride if there is a possibility of him becoming competition. Thereafter, the male lion, now old enough, must form his own pride. They do this by taking over another lion’s pride. Lions in a pride protect each other from outsiders and predators.
Male courtship behaviour usually entails lots of head rubbing with the female, urine spraying, licking his genitals and patiently following her. When the lioness is ready and presents, the male will try to grip her neck before mounting.
A recent study led by Panthera suggests that the targeted poaching of lions for their skin, teeth, claws, and bones accounts for 35% of known human-related lion killings. However, retaliatory killings from human-lion conflict is still their main threat.
Olifants River Game Reserve is a privately owned Big-5 region within the Balule Nature Reserve in the Limpopo Province. Unique amongst private reserves in the Lowveld, this visually arresting property forms part of the unfenced, open system of the Greater Kruger National Park.
It comprises some 6500 hectares of prime bushveld which is home to an astonishingly wide diversity of flora and fauna – and with the spectacular, perennial Olifants River running through it, a causeway links the reserve to the neighbouring Olifants North Game Reserve, providing more than 3000 hectares of additional traversing.
Balule Game Reserve shares an unfenced border with the renowned Kruger National Park and an unforgettable safari experience.
It is in the mixed woodland eco-zone, one of several eco-zones in the lowveld, and the one with the greatest variety of fauna and flora. The landscape is rolling with seasonal rivers draining the area. The region is of granitic origin, with quartz and dolerite intrusions and outcrops.
The mighty Olifants River runs through the centre of Balule Private Game Reserve, attracting a large number of wildlife.
Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is taking care of abandoned, orphaned, injured and poisoned wildlife. Animal species are brought to the centre from all corners of South Africa, and once healthy enough, re-introduced into their natural environments.
Those creatures that cannot be released into the wild because of the nature and extent of their injuries are cared for at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Another important function of the centre is breeding. The endangered Crowned Eagle, Serval and many others have been successfully bred and released into the wild.
