Wilderness of Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa, covering an area of 19,500 km. It was established in 1898 as the Sabi Game Reserve, and its name was changed to Kruger National Park in 1926. The park includes many tree species including knob-thorn, acacia and fever tree.
The park is home to over 1 500 species of animals, including lions; leopards; cheetahs; elephants and rhinos. The Kruger National Park hosts the world’s largest population of white rhino, with an estimated 13 1000 individuals in 2017. It also has the largest population of African elephant in the world, with approximately 83, 600 elephants as at 2017. The park also boasts a wide variety of birds such as francolin; blue cranes; yellow billed hornbill; secretary bird; saddle billed stork and kingfishers
Wildlife Photography at Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is a photographer’s paradise. The park has over 500 species of birds, the second highest number in Africa, and over 1,000 different animals. It is also home to some of the world’s biggest predators such as lions, leopards and hyenas.
- African Buffalo: These are large mammals that can weigh up to 1 000kg (2 400lbs). They are herbivores and therefore eat grasses or leaves from bushes that grow around water holes or rivers during dry seasons when food is scarce elsewhere in Kruger National Park
- Lion: Lions have been known since ancient times as kings among beasts because they are strong hunters with sharp teeth and claws that can tear apart prey animals easily such as zebras or wildebeest calves.
- Leopard: Leopards are the second largest cats in Africa after lions and they are solitary hunters. Their coat is spotted or striped with black spots on a pale background. They are also known for their long tails, which they use to balance while jumping from tree branch to branch.
- Giraffe: The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world and can reach up to 2.5m (8ft) tall. It has a long neck that helps it reach leaves high up in trees where they feed on them during the day or night when other animals would not be able to see them. They have spots on their coat which helps them camouflage into the surroundings when they are resting.
The Kruger National Park is home to several endangered species including the white rhino and cheetah. The park also has a large number of antelope species such as kudu (commonly known as “buck”), impala (which means “gazelle”), waterbuck (a type of antelope) and many others. A variety of reptiles can be found at Kruger National Park such as cobra snakes that live in trees along with monkeys; monitor lizards which look like alligators but are smaller than them; pythons which are long thin snakes that hunt for prey on land rather than in water like other types of snakes do; crocodiles which have tough scaly skin around their bodies so they cannot be hurt easily by predators such as lions or hyenas unless they’re eaten whole!
There are over 500 bird species in Kruger National Park including ostriches and vultures as well as eagles, hawks and owls. Birding is a popular activity for visitors to Kruger National Park who want to see all kinds of birds from colorful parrots to majestic raptors soaring above them or perched on branches nearby looking for an easy meal!
The wilderness
The Kruger National Park is home to more than 100,000 elephants. It’s the largest population anywhere in Africa and one of the most important conservation areas in the world for these majestic creatures. But you don’t have to go far into this wilderness for an encounter with these large mammals–you can see them all around you as you drive through or walk through the park.
Lions are the most common and widespread of all African big cats. They can be found throughout Kruger, including many male prides which live on open plains and in dense riverine forests. Lions are most active early morning and late afternoon when they hunt for buffalo and other prey animals.
They are opportunistic hunters, often taking advantage of animal carrion left behind by other predators such as hyenas or leopards. The majority of their diet consists of medium-sized mammals such as buffalo calves, wildebeest calves, zebras and impala fawns but they will also eat smaller rodents like hares or mice if they are hungry enough!
Leopards are also very common throughout Kruger with easy access to waterholes, rivers, rocky outcrops and caves where they live. They are mostly nocturnal hunters but may also be seen during daylight hours when moving between places with thick cover such as reeds or thickets where they hide during daytime hours. In addition to leopards, lions and spotted hyenas often prey on impala lambs which are left unattended while mothers graze nearby or go off hunting during the night