other wildlife, Kruger National Park

This insect looks just like a pile of twigs and sticks. You have to look carefully around the park as you may think by looking casually that there are no animals around, but a closer inspect may turn up all sorts of creatures about.

It’s easy to get disappointed if you arrive at the park with the expectation that you will see all of the Big 5 during your stay. The park is HUGE! You may be very lucky and get to se all of the big five, but there is SO much more to see than just the lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant!

There are birds, monkeys, baboons, snakes, dung-beetles, butterflies, cheetahs, duiker, wild dog, lizards, mongoose, zebras, warthogs, porcupines, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, turtles, fish eagles, vultures, hyenas, eiland, nyalas, frogs and terrapins…The list is endless!

During our drives throughout the park, we will often switch off the car engine and just sit for half an hour. It is amazing what you see and hear when you take a minute to pause and listen.

Enjoy being in Africa and make the most of your experience by taking note of all the creatures that cross your path: great and small!

These monkeys can be found almost everywhere in the park, sometimes even in the camps. However some visitors feed them which results that the monkeys become agressive and too close to humans and one has to shoot them. Remember this is a game reserve - so DO NOT feed any game.

Arriving in the Kruger Park is not coming to a zoo. Here game is hunting and others are hunted. Accidents also happen - this was fatal for the giraffe that slipped in a river bed and then was attacked by other game. Lions, leopards and also hyenas fed of her over several days.

Zebras are most of the time found in large herds. Young Zebras have a challenge just after they are born. They have to learn the pattern of the mother - since all Zebra's patterns are different. A lot of times Zebras are found in the vicinity of gnus - since the warning systems against predators are shared.

This beautiful antelope is found in dense bushes or thick vegetation. The male’s horns are quiet striking. Kudus normally are together in groups of two or three males with some females being close by.

The most dangerous animal in Africa is the hippo. Since most of the life is around water the hippo is the animal that is responsible for most casualties in Africa.
During the day time they are normally in water as sun protection, during the evening and night they come out to graze.

There are an estimated 5000 Nile crocodiles in the Kruger National Park. Some good places to find them in the Kruger is Sunset Dam near Lower Sabie Rest Camp, Nsemani Dam west of Satara Rest Camp, and Crook’s corner and all along the Luvuvhu River in the far north. They can be usually seen hanging around hippos.

Crocs spend their early years feeding on insects and amphibians in sheltered coves. They reach maturity around age 12 and reach 7 feet (2 m) and predominately eat fish and smaller antelope. Adult crocs can live up to 80 years and can grow up to 20 feet (6 m). Adult crocs can weigh up to 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg). Usually crocs are seen sitting on the shore sunning themselves. It has to be a site to see a large croc ambush a zebra or a wildebeest.

One of the more interesting behaviours with crocodiles are the hard work the mother does in digging a hole with her hind legs and burring 20 to 80 eggs covering them with sand and other vegetation to incubate the eggs at the proper temperature. The mothers have an incredible sense as to what temperature to keep the nest as too hot make too many males and too cold makes too many females. Most nests are 50/50 male/female. When the mother hears peeping sounds she opens the nest. The small crocs can communicate while in the egg and when one starts to peep and break the egg the others shortly follow. The mother will then gather up the baby crocs in her mouth and wash them in the river. The baby crocs will stay with the mother for several months in a sheltered cove as the babies are extremely vulnerable. The Nile monitor lizard is a constant threat to the eggs and to the small crocs and are responsible for 50% of casualties.

Crocs are incredibly well camouflaged and are extremely dangerous around the river’s edge. They are also fast runners on land over short distances. Never walk close to the water’s edge. Just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they are not there.