Kruger National Park

 


South Africa has an impressive collection of national parks. Kruger NP is to their park system as Yellowstone is to ours, the flagship so to speak.

In the north-east corner of the country it is about 240 miles north to south and about 40 miles wide on average. At 7500 square miles it is twice as big as Yellowstone!!!

It is considered one of the world's most important game reserves. There are 1400 miles of roads, paved and unpaved, that run throughout the park. There is also a system of rest camps run by the park service where overnight visitors are required to stay. These rest camps are all enclosed by fences and are the only places in the park that you may walk about freely. While outside the camps you are required to remain in your car due to the abundance of dangerous wildlife (unless you hire an armed guide).

The animal viewing is unbelievable. During our 2.5 days there we saw giraffes, zebras, lions, cheetah, hyenas, wildebeests, water buffalo, monkeys, baboons, white rhinos, hippos, elands and kudus (types of antelope), monitor lizards, fantastic spiders, and too many birds to mention.

Wildlife management is minimal. I believe the only management the park system does is place several windmills throughout the park to pump up water to maintain waterholes. What you see is a natural ecosystem.


Close up view of an elephant.



And another.


Wildebeest. Cool markings.


A young zebra.


Two female lions.


An elephant chasing a female lion.


Next set of Kruger pictures