Explore South Africa’s Amazing Wildlife

As home to the famed ‘Big Five’ – lion, elephant, rhino, leopard and buffalo – South Africa is renowned throughout the world for its magnificent diversity of wildlife and its game reserves. Game viewing is a popular pastime for both local and international tourists and South Africa has an abundance of public and private game reserves, encompassing an amazing variety of landscapes, from forests to wide open bushveld, and mountains to the sparkling ocean shore. Accommodation is plentiful and varied and game viewing safaris can be enjoyed on foot, from 4×4 vehicles, on horseback, or even riding on the back of an elephant – all depending on where you are.

The Kruger National Park is arguably the most well known of South Africa’s national game reserves, with the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape and the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal also enjoy a well earned reputation for their wildlife management and conservation efforts. But there are plenty of smaller reserves throughout South Africa which should not be overlooked, so be sure to check out what is available in the area you are visiting.

South Africa’s game reserves are teeming with birdlife, with around 850 species recorded throughout the country, and are prime destinations for keen birders from within the country’s borders and beyond. Also not to be overlooked are the little creatures such as meerkats, foxes, porcupines and aardvarks found in the reserves. But of course, it is the larger animals that leave the greatest impression. The silhouette of a graceful giraffe against the sunset is not only a picture postcard, it is a reality that you could experience on a visit to South Africa’s game reserves.