Thulamela is an ancient and sacred walled kingdom in Kruger National Park that unlocks some of the fascinating history of southern Africa
Category Archives: Kruger
MAKULEKE
Between two rivers and three countries, Makuleke Contractual Park in northern Kruger is a spectacular biodiversity and historical hotspot
A different safari – photographic hides
Fantastic images from a day in the photographic hides of Indlovu River Lodge in Karongwe Private Game Reserve near the town of Hoedspruit
“Living dead” – elephants in Kruger NP are sterilizing palm trees, says research
Elephants feeding on fan palm trees are preventing the palms from reaching full size & reproductive potential in Kruger NP, says new study
COVID-19 safari during lockdown: we test-drive
What will a Covid-19 safari be like under South Africa’s lockdown rules? We test-drive a lockdown safari in Timbavati, Greater Kruger
Meet the lion coalitions & prides of the Greater Kruger
Meet the famous Mapogos and other celebrity lion coalitions of the Greater Kruger – the warriors, the courageous and the notorious.
Baboon kidnaps lion cub
A baboon kidnapped a tiny lion cub in the Kruger National Park, and was seen grooming the dying cub in a large tree
Greater Kruger
The ‘Greater Kruger’ refers to 344,000 hectares (860,000 acres) of protected land to the west of Kruger National Park that provides a larger area for wildlife to roam freely. This additional land is owned by private and local community property owners.
Experience an art safari in the Big 5 Greater Kruger
Join professional artist Alison Nicholls on a special Big 5 art safari in the Greater Kruger.
Klaserie Capers
He emerged silently from the gloom and ambled towards us with that gentle rocking gait that big bull elephants use to cover vast distances with minimal effort. His white tusks glowed in the moonshine, but otherwise, he was just a huge dark grey smudge that loomed larger by the second. The eight of us sat […]
Walking Safari in the Greater Kruger
This walking safari got off to a rollicking start. The previous day I met up with my UK-based Africa Geographic colleague and long-time friend Christian Boix, two safari first-timers and our trail guides Hanri and AD and spent our first night in the mobile camp deep in the Greater Kruger. The husband and wife first-timers […]
Watch: African wildcat kitten in my garden
Cuteness alert! Our CEO finds a tiny African wildcat kitten in his garden near the Greater Kruger, notices signs of possible inbreeding with domestic cats.
Video: Bucket the tiny lion cub is still going strong!
Good news: The tiny lion cub named Bucket that left her mother at the tender age of five weeks to follow the pride males, and endured 10 days with no mother’s milk before rejoining her mom, is alive and well.
Photos: Fantastic sightings from the Greater Kruger
A stunning selection of photos of the latest sightings from Tanda Tula in the Greater Kruger.
Video: Elephants go mad for marulas in our garden
“Elephants love marula fruit. I have seen them rush to a tree with a lot of fallen fruit the same way they would hurry to a waterhole when they are thirsty. We happen to have two marula trees in our garden that drop a lot of fruit.. too much for an elephant to resist!”
Big news as Kruger National Park 10-year management plan approved by Minister
South Africa’s Acting Minister of Environmental Affairs Derek Hanekom has officially approved the ground-breaking and visionary 10-year Kruger National Park Management Plan.
New citrus farm on Kruger border – have your say
A citrus farming enterprise has purchased a small but ecologically pivotal farm on the border of the Klaserie and Timbavati private nature reserves (Greater Kruger) near the town of Hoedspruit, and plans to develop a citrus orchard in this vital game reserve area.
Update: The wandering N4 highway Kruger lion
Remember the lion that was found wandering on the N4 highway this past September? Here’s an update on his latest whereabouts.
Kruger Glamping
Glamorous camping (glamping) should be an authentic way of enjoying what safari used to be all about. But not too authentic, right? I mean you don’t want to have to catch your dinner or dig a pit latrine. Sure, do away with the permanent lodge structures, but I still want to feel safe and comfortable. […]
Bush tales: The story of the painted wolves of Balule
‘Painted wolves’, ‘Cape hunting dogs’ or ‘wild dogs’. No matter what you call them, one thing is certain: they are one of the most enigmatic and charismatic animals on the African continent.
Adorably naughty leopard cubs
A leopard mother has her paws full as her two adorably naughty cubs prefer to explore the bush rather than hide away in their den.
Kruger’s roaming lions
“Never a dull moment in the bush” is something my husband and I tell each other all the time. Well, that is certainly true for the events of a few weekends ago when a male lion got out of our stunning Kruger National Park!
Kruger 10-year management plan
SANParks has released its Kruger National Park management plan covering the next 10 years. This 259-page report is essential reading for Kruger fans who enjoy debating the issues that the Kruger management team has to deal with on a regular basis, such as problem-animal management, hotels in Kruger and trophy hunting of free-roaming wildlife on reserves adjoining Kruger.
Following in the footsteps of giants, a unique Kruger experience
Discovering stunning spots in the Kruger National Park where no tourist has ever been, becoming part of the food chain for a week by sharing the living space of elephants, hippos, buffaloes and lions, testing your feet, legs and stamina with a 100+ kilometre walking expedition; the newly developed north-to-south Kruger Trail is the stuff that the dreams of adventurous nature lovers are made of.
Tracking with the Ju/’Hoansi Master Trackers in Kruger
The last three Master Trackers of the Ju/’hoanis from Nyae Nyae in Namibia were invited to the Kruger in South Africa to participate in some pioneering trails. They came to display their extraordinary tracking prowess to guests participating in walking trails. This is an account of their journey.
Video: There is an elephant in the driveway!
An elephant tucks into some juicy vegetation in a residential garden in the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Skye the lion hunting furore: Parliament wants Kruger NP agreement with private reserves revised
Environmental Affairs committee believes agreement between Kruger National Park and private reserves should be revised.
Epic Kruger
This epic photo gallery from Africa Geographic of special moments in Kruger National Park will have you booking your next safari with AG
History and future of the Kruger
It was a few years before the South African (Boer) War, in the late 1800s when President Paul Kruger (in office 1883 – 1900) was alerted to the fact that a rapid extinction of various species of flora and fauna was taking place in South Africa. Unregulated hunting meant that wild animals were disappearing fast, […]
Video: The new lion cubs of the Zebenine pride
After weeks of waiting, the two lion cubs, a male and a female, from the Zebanine pride have finally made their first appearance.
Lions and hyenas: Eternal enemies
Chad Cocking and his team recently had a stunning sighting of lions restoring order and claiming their rank from the hyena clans, proving just how formidable they can be.
Video: Battle of the boars
A field guide in the Kruger National Park witnesses an epic battle between to warthog boars.
Video: Lions make a comeback
With wild lions under pressure from so many threats, this is a wonderful story of lions being reintroduced to an area that used to have lions.
Video: Chad and the black mamba
A game ranger received quite an unexpected surprise when he found a near three-metre black mamba underneath his bed.
There’s a Leopard in my Garden
One of the most popular requests from safari tourists to their guides is to see leopards. This is a tough task, even for the most experienced of guides, due to the elusive and cunning nature of these big cats. But there is a town called Hoedspruit, near the Kruger National Park in the Limpopo Province […]
Our day watching Kruger’s wild dogs
A pack of wild dogs provide a whole day’s worth of entertainment for a photographer in the Kruger National Park.
Southern ground-hornbill feasts on hare
A southern ground-hornbill in the Kruger finds a rare treat in the form of a juvenile hare.
Manyeleti: The Place of Stars
Manyeleti Game Reserve is a bit of an open secret amongst those in the know. But the secret details depend on who you speak to. Jaundiced, local Kruger National Park die-hards have either never heard of it, or write the reserve off as not worthy of their holiday time (most never having been there). Others […]
Art safari Q&A: What will I learn on my art safari?
Artist Alison Nicholls answers some frequently asked questions regarding the Africa Geographic Travel art safaris that she runs in the Kruger National Park and Madikwe in South Africa.
Bush tales: Half-blind lioness and cubs update
One of the best parts about being a field guide is that you can follow the stories of animals, you can watch cubs grow up and witness the change in dynamics within herds. Yet, as always within nature, there are moments of pure joy but also of great tragedy.
Klaserie through the Lens
Every year, the Africa Geographic Photographer of the Year competition showcases a plethora of phenomenal photos from around Africa by professional and amateur photographers, alike. The lucky winners are awarded incredible prizes that reflect their talent. Wildlife photographer Willem Kruger won first place in the ‘travel’ category in 2017 and enjoyed a memorable trip to the […]
Gory splendour: Lion cub and buffalo carcass
A greedy lion cub wants the buffalo carcass all to itself!
Rediscovering Kruger
Living on the African continent, we have a vast array of protected areas to visit. Those of us with a travel-addiction and passion for wildlife endeavour to visit them all – the Okavango, Maasai Mara and Serengeti to mention just a few. However, we sometimes overlook what we have right on our doorstep, such as […]
Bush tales: Half-blind lioness takes down giraffe for cubs
A field guide shares his story of a lone, half-blind, lioness who took down a giraffe for her and her cubs to feast on in the Kruger.
Ticking off the bucket list: Leopard cub
An incredible sighting of a leopard cub with its mother in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana – one for the bucket list!
Decoding Kruger’s ‘Elephant Management Plan’
The Kruger National Park is vast, at about 2 million hectares, and requires a thorough management strategy in order to ensure long term sustainability. Part of that strategy, The Elephant Management Plan – compiled by Kruger management and Scientific Service – is currently in force, and covers the period 2013 to 2022.
Video: Elephant herd mock charges during game drive
It was on one particularly windy morning when we were out on a game drive, having just come from watching lions being chased by a young elephant bull, and I came around a corner and straight into an elephant breeding herd!
Kruger: Is this the technological future?
Presently, we are able to instantly globally share everything we see and hear in Kruger and just about every other destination on earth. Animal sightings and locations are given in real time and we are able to send photos and videos across a host of social media platforms.
Special sighting: Ground-hornbill versus snake
It was a weekend trip through the south of Kruger with friends and we had been lucky to see Big 5 on both days, but there’s always a rush of excitement when something crosses our path – like a southern ground-hornbill taking on a snake.
Kruger: Impact of social media and mobile phones – good or bad?
Technology and social media have shaped the Kruger experience into something radically different from what it was ten years ago.
Celebrating big cats with our 2017 Photographer of the Year
John Vosloo shares with us his experience on a photographic safari – his prize for winning our 2017 Photographer of the Year competition.
Spring safari in South Africa
September marks the beginning of spring, and the end of the country’s short-lived winter. While the dry, winter months may have the reputation of being the best time to go on safari, spring is also a wonderful time to be out in the wild.
Video: Close up encounter with Kruger elephant
A video showing an up close and personal account of an elephant who got a little too close for comfort in the Kruger National Park in South Africa
Decisions and disasters: Materials for your Art Safari
Disasters involving art materials are nothing new to me after years of travelling and sketching in southern Africa.
A watchful hyena mother and her curious cubs
Recently at Xanatseni Private Camp in Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, South Africa, we were fortunate enough to stumble upon a female spotted hyena at the entrance of a den site. She had been hanging around the area for a couple of weeks and we were beginning to get suspicious. What was she up to and could there be cubs involved!?
Kruger- lodges vs self drive
The Kruger National Park is South Africa’s flagship national park. Wherever you are in the world, if you’re even remotely interested in the safari experience in Africa, you’ve likely heard of the Kruger. It offers a wilderness safari experience that is right up there with the best that Africa has to offer. There’s so much […]
Digital detoxing – it’s good for you!
Escape to the bush for a digital detox and let the natural world ease your stresses away.
Bush harmony – a classical concert in the Kruger
The Sunset Serenade concert, held at Kruger’s Mopani camp and surrounds, is a three day cultural and wildlife experience in support of anti-poaching
Photoseries: EPIC battle between honey badger and python
A photo series depicts an epic battle between a honey badger and a rock python takes place in Kruger National Park.
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region ranked 11th in the world!
The 2,5 million Ha Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Region became a UNESCO Biosphere in 2001 and was recently ranked 11th best biosphere in the world.
Photoseries: early morning playtime for hyena cubs
A mother hyena gets an early morning wake up call from her cubs
Orphaned baby warthogs find a home at Rhino River Lodge
Two adorable orphaned baby warthogs are given a little assistance from the staff at Rhino River Lodge.
Video: What to pack for your summer safari holiday
Packing for a safari, particularly if it is your first trip to the African wilderness, can be a daunting experience.
Win a two night stay for two at the beautiful Klaserie Sands River Camp
Win a two night stay for two at the beautiful Klaserie Sands River Camp
Finding Africa’s rarest parrot – Cape Parrots in Magoebaskloof
A birding trip into the Magoesbaskloof in Limpopo, South Africa to find Africa’s rarest parrot
Kruger Walking Magic
This is a trip report of our five-night stay in the Kruger National Park, which included the three-night Mphongolo Backpack Trail – a trail that not only takes you into the largest wilderness area in the Kruger but also takes your soul to a deeper level than you could ever have imagined. Our travelling group, […]
Kgalagadi versus Kruger
A daring comparison of two popular Southern African transfrontier parks.
Kruger2Canyons
As if Kruger wasn’t enough in itself, find out just how much there is to explore around it!
All-Inclusive Kruger
How to conquer Kruger when you’re pressed for time.
Kruger Addicts
An Australian couple share why they are so crazy about Kruger National Park.
The Big Five for a Small Price
But going there none of the songs playing in the minivan were ones that I had requested. We were on a team-building trip, en route to Djuma Private Game Reserve. Africa Geographic’s advertising manager, Adie, had emailed the team asking for music preferences, but she had forgotten the Pink Floyd I requested. She played Steve […]
A honey badger after some honey
Chris Jek has a stroke of luck when he comes across a honey badger visiting a wild beehive in the Kruger National Park.
When my Grandad was a kid in the Kruger National Park
A holiday in the Kruger National Park is a family tradition – my Grandad & Dad visited the Park since they were little babies, and me too