The SANParks Honorary Rangers of the Highveld Region launched an initiative to restore the various heritage sites in Kruger National Park. By Lizet Kotze

This heartwarming book recounts the adventures of Nikki Meyer as she goes from being a city girl to discovering the magic of the bush. Her story starts in Botswana, but eventually the journey takes her to the Kruger National Park and a lifelong dream is realised.

Last week (4-8 March 2013) saw over 200 local and international scientists coming together for the annual Savanna Science Network Meeting in the Kruger National Park. Article by Inês Ferreira

Situated within a wilderness zone in the Kruger National Park, Hamiltons Tented Camp has switched to solar energy.

When torrential downpours flooded the Kruger National Park in January, some visitors found themselves cut off by the rising waters. Fortunately, SANParks had an excellent plan. By Stephen Cunliffe

When the floods came down in Kruger, two Italian visitors were among those who had to be rescued. Despite their narrow escape, they only had praise for SANParks staff.

One of the highlights of visiting the North of the Kruger Park in December or April is the bi-annual outbreak of mopane worms. By Janet Kleyn.

Over the festive season the Kruger National Park will enforce gate quotas. Plan in advance to make sure you can enjoy the park's peace and quiet.

Want to know where Kruger’s wildlife is hanging out? Latest Sightings offers real-time updates so you can keep track of animal locations throughout the park. Nadav Ossendryver talks to Wild about his brainchild.

Seeing a wild dog is a rare privilege. Mike, Marie and Josh Brunk and Cecil and Sonnee Hines had an unforgettable encounter with a wild dog pack on their recent trip to the Kruger National Park. By Mike Brunk.

Wildlife lovers Anton and Shelli Campbell-Harris came across a leopard eyeing a python in the Kruger Park. They watched in amazement as the leopard and python battled it out before their eyes. 

Last year former TV personality Rita van den Heever went on her first camping trip, but it definitely won’t be her last.

We have more proof that lions enjoy trees! Beryl Osborne spotted these lions along the H10 towards Lower Sabie in the Kruger National Park.

Our latest video takes a look at a series of elephant encounters in the Kruger National Park. Charlie and Jenny Johnson took this video, a compilation from their trips to the park. Watch the interactions between the meetings of breeding herds compared to those of the young elephant bulls.

Sunset dam in the Kruger National Park is famed for its abundant bird life as well as its large hippo and crocodile populations. Sometimes it seems like there are just too many hippos for such a small dam. This was the case one winter morning when we visited the dam just before sunrise.

Just outside Mopani, in the Kruger National Park, Lance Abramson and his family had the fortune of coming across a cheetah and a leopard. “The two had a bit of a territorial run in,” says Lance. “Lucky for us, right next to the road!”  Find out who wins  – is it the cheetah or the leopard?

Mud bathing is an important past time for many of Kruger’s animals and it can also be fun too! It provides protection against ticks, flies and the sun, as well as giving instant relief on a hot South African day.

Unite Against Poaching, an initiative of Unitrans Volkswagen and Audi and the SANParks Honorary Rangers, recently sponsored a customised Volkswagen Amarok single cab bakkie for the SANParks dog unit in Kruger. This will help the team – foxhounds with super sensitive noses – track down poachers more quickly.

We are very excited about our two book offers for this month. Wild Card members have the benefit of enjoying special discounts on two collectors books that give you a thorough account on what Kruger was like in its early days. If you are interested in finding out more about the history of South Africa’s iconic park then don’t miss this great special, running for the month of August 2012.

It's amazing to see how much Kruger has changed from its early days to modern times. Dr Salomon Joubert, author of The Kruger National Park – A History, gives us a glimpse into the rich history of the park. He shares fascinating images of travel in Kruger, a real trip down memory lane!

Wild Card members can purchase his three volume set at the special price of R849. This saves you an amazing R450!  Click here to find out more about this wonderful offer.

The open plains around Satara rest camp in the Kruger National Park is the perfect place to spot plains game and if you are really lucky some of their predators too.

How far would you go to get a booking for Kruger during the 2013 winter school holidays? Try camping overnight outside the SANParks reservation office ... that's what passionate nature lover and proud Wild Card member Jan la Grange is doing.

Baobabs are as much a symbol of the African landscape as lions or elephants are. Traditionally they have been the sources of many myths and legends. Some believe them to be the resting place for ancestral spirits; others view them as a “bush supermarket” – almost every part of a baobab has a use. Their true age is still a contentious issue and few know that a baobab is actually an aloe and not a tree at all.

 

In all our years of travelling we have seen some animals with very strange physical appearances - male lions without manes, impala ewes with horns, a wild dog with only three legs and even a white porcupine. But nothing trumps the sighting we had at Nkuhlu picnic site between Skukuza and Lower Sabie on a recent trip to the Kruger National Park. Text and images by Villiers Steyn and Tabby Mittins

Sunset dam in the Kruger National Park is famed for its abundant bird life as well as its large hippo and crocodile populations. Size wise it is a small dam, especially when you consider the likes of Mlondozi or Engelhard dams, making it quite crowded for all those living in and around it.

Marlene and Leon Swart visited the Kruger Park in May in the hope of seeing a pride of lions. Instead of lions, they had a far more interesting encounter that caused much excitement and some shattered nerves! Words and images by Marlene Swart.

While visiting the Kruger National Park on my yearlong trip to South Africa’s most special nature reserves and national parks, I had the great fortune of seeing a leopard kill for the first time. By Scott Ramsay

Some of the best places to spot owls are in the Kruger National Park: Tzendze, Crook’s Corner and the trees lining the Sabie and Olifants Rivers.

By Lisa Wassenaar

Great service from park staff make a trip to the wild a pleasure from start to finish, as Abram Pretorius discovered on a trip to the Kruger National Park.

This month is the start of new adventures for an American couple making their 13th visit in 13 years to the Kruger National Park.

What was Kruger like in the early days? How has conservation changed over the years? The Kruger National Park: A History by Dr Salmon Joubert is the definitive work on Kruger...  We're thrilled to offer Wild Card members a truly exclusive deal on this three volume set.

Sandown Motor Holdings has donated a brand new Jeep Sahara to the Kruger National Park to help combat rhino poaching.

Johannie Spaan recently received a fellowship from the L’Oreal Unesco For Women in Science (FWIS) programme for her research on buffalo in the Kruger National Park.
 

As former CEO of BirdLife SA, conservationist Gerhard Verdoorn has spent many days in the bush, but there's one day he'll never forget. That's the day he hit the raptor jackpot in Kruger. By Ilse Bigalke

Never heard of the tree-climbing lions of Crocodile Bridge? Neither had Lourens Durand.

On 22 March 2012, I was driving west on the H5, 3 km from the main Crocodile Bridge/ Lower Sabie Road, when I came across a pride of 13 lions: one male, three females and nine cubs. Most were in the road, but five of the cubs were playing in a small tree.

In March this year, Kate Collins got the chance to be one of the first participants on Kruger's newest backpack trail. Read all about the Lonely Bull Trail in the winter issue of Wild. Kate chatted to Robert Bryden, regional activities co-ordinator of the Kruger National Park and trail guide on their hike. Watch this video about the new trail and see if you can spot the excited hippo!
 

Surveys for Pel’s fishing owl Scotopelia peli along the major river systems in the Kruger National Park over the period 2007-2010 indicate a major decline over the last 18 years.

By André Botha, Birds of Prey Programme Manager, Endangered Wildlife Trust

There has been a major decline in some bird species along the Olifants River especially. Water birds and raptors were counted in a survey along the Luvhuvhu and Olifants Rivers in the Kruger National Park from 2007-2010.

By André Botha, Birds of Prey Programme Manager, Endangered Wildlife Trust

Dr Jannie Snyman was travelling on the S44 near Olifantskop in the Kruger National Park when he came across a curious scene on a low-level bridge.

It is hard to find new descriptions to define the Kruger National Park. Suffice to say that each time we go there we are filled with wonder at the scale of its unspoilt wilderness. What a heritage we as South Africans have in this amazing place. By Doreen Hansen

In October 2011, Mariana de Klerk, witnessed how a mother elephant rescued her baby from a waterhole and then battled to get out herself. At the end the rest of the herd came to the mother and touched her as if to say: "well done!"

The video has since won the 50 50 Veldfokus competition for 2011.


 

A lioness opens the car door of a couple whose car breaks down in the middle of a lion pride. By Theuns and Elzet Hurter
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Have you ever witnessed something out of the ordinary? KwaZulu-Natal resident, Ron Van Rooyen, experienced far more than he ever thought possible on a camping trip to the Kruger National Park.

SANParks are limiting the number of visitors coming into the park over the Easter break to ensure that your weekend experience is the best it can be.

Taking part in the Wild Jump was the thrill of a lifetime for Xolela Magazi, Wild Card customer consultant. For Xolela it was his first time in a plane, as well as his first time in a national park.
 

A birding trip to Pafuri in the far north of Kruger National Park is extra special when senior trail ranger Christopher Muthathie volunteers to take one out for the day.

By Anton Odendal, chairman of BirdLife Overberg

The Easter Weekend is always packed with chocolate eggs, hot-cross buns, family and fun. But why not spice up this Easter with a dash of the outdoors?

Rhino poachers often manage to elude law enforcement officials, but now the SANParks Honorary Rangers are sponsoring a project to train tracker dogs.

How wild an adventurer are you? Try skydiving, tackling a 4x4 challenge and walking through Kruger. That's what two SANParks employees did on the Wild Jump. By Gabrielle Venter

On Day 7 of their birding trip to Kruger’s far north, chairman of Overberg BirdLife Anton Odendal and his wife, Elaine, witnessed Meves’s Starlings attack a mamba between Pafuri and Crook’s Corner.

By Anton Odendal

Not all is at peace in the Kruger Park... Find out what happens in our photo sequence by Mario Fazekas.
 

A sustainable source of wood may be on the cards, thanks to the bush clearing project in Kruger National Park, known as Working for Woodlands.

By Bonny Bridgeford, Health and Safety Co-ordination & Support Technician, Invasive Species Clearing Unit, South African National Parks (SANParks).

The transportation of contractors and workers within SANParks, often on bad roads, is a major safety issue. Last month Kruger teams from the Invasive Species Clearing Unit learnt more about vehicle safety.

By Bonny Bridgeford, Health and Safety Co-ordination & Support Technician, Invasive Species Clearing Unit, South African National Parks (SANParks)

Enjoy the thrill of a tandem skydive in the great outdoors in the vicinity of the Kruger National Park and its surroundings. PLUS...

When guide Frank Watts promised a specially challenged little girl that he would show her a lion, little did he know that Mother Nature had a lesson for him.

It's that time of the year when we make our getaway for the summer. We are happy to announce that the Kruger National Park has put in some strict guidelines to adhere to over the festive break. This will mean better game viewing experiences and less people speeding and breaking the rules.

Because Christmas is almost upon us we have decided to share a sighting taken on Christmas Day. Will you be as lucky as our featured photographer?

In this stunning sequence we find out where cheetahs go to get a better view of their surroundings. Vic D’Oliveira captured these cheetahs as they circled a stone cairn in the Kruger National Park.

The Kruger National Park's counter-poaching teams got a boost with equipment to the value of R1.75 million. The donation is the result of an innovative collaboration between the SANParks Honorary Rangers and Unitrans.

We have wanted to do a Kruger wilderness trail for many years, and at last we got our act together and booked the Napi Trail in July. What a fantastic experience. One strongly recommended to all…

By Eugene Moll

They say there’s nothing to see in Nyalaland. A remote wilderness area in the Kruger’s far north, Nyalaland has plenty of baobabs – but less game than the park’s south. Yet on a wilderness trail in late spring we saw three of the Big Five.

SANParks are planning to build two "hotels" in Kruger: one a conference lodge in Skukuza, the other a safari resort near Malelane Gate. Find out what the reasons for these developments are and what measures are being taken to protect the environment.

SANParks are planning to open two new hotels in Kruger National Park. Dr Harold Braack, environmental consultant and former park warden of Kruger, gives his opinion.

If you’ve looked up at a bateleur flying in the sky, you may have noticed it sway from side to side. The name bateleur is derived from the French word ‘baastel’ meaning acrobat and relates to this rocking motion brought about by their short tails. The Kruger National Park is known for bateleur sightings and if you’re as lucky as photographer Dean Polley, you may just get your perfect shot.

The Honorary Rangers of the Highveld Region have been busy with a number of projects. Their most recent project was to restore the thatch roof over one of the historic ox-wagons donated to the Kruger Park.

A two week birding trip to the Kruger National Park proved unforgettable for BirdLife Overberg committee members Anita de Jager, Elsabe Ketteringham, Elaine Odendal and Aletta Robertson. Calling themselves the Four Grey Tits, they are convinced that the Kruger National Park remains one of the best birding destinations in southern Africa.
By Anton Odendal

An old advert shows a time when you could book a tour from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park and spend R143 on a three-day trip.  Joep Stevens, the General Manager of SANParks, is collecting Kruger memorabilia from before 1980. If you have any images, permits, brochures or anything interesting from your early trips to Kruger, send it on to him at PO BOX 787, Pretoria, 0001 or email him at joeps@sanparks.org. Joep is writing a book and any material would be very helpful.

Years of guiding taught author Megan Emmett and photographer Sean Pattrick more than a thing or two about the bush. In this book they’ve brought together fascinating facts and interpretative images that will enrich your trip to the Lowveld.

Few people know about the Ramsar site in Kruger National Park, known as the Makuleke Wetlands (22°23'S 031°11'E).

When two of the big five battle it out, the sighting can be spectacular – but one side always wins. Turi Birrer witnessed a lion and buffalo attack on his drive from the Timbavati towards Satara.

When it rained on our recent trip to Pretoriuskop, Kruger National Park's oldest rest camp, we were sorely disappointed. But you never know what to expect in the wilds ...

The end of 2010 saw the publication of the second part of the hefty history of Kruger National Park, written by a former chief director of SANParks. In 671 pages it offers an authentic and chronological account of events, people, animals, plants and places in the park.

Every year music lovers gather for a weekend of captivating classical performances in a spectacular setting: Kruger National Park. KIrsty Redman describes this unforgettable event, which was held in Letaba in September and October.

When Miss Earth South Africa finalist Deborah Robertson got to see a rhino capture up close, she discovered it’s a unique opportunity to do research on this imposing animal. Deborah tells us about her experience.

Last week Kruger National Park received a donation of 150 baboon-proof stainless steel dustbins. Compared to the previous 182 plastic bins which were donated in 2006, the stainless steel dustbins are child and elderly people friendly... definitely an improvement.

The chance to try Kruger's new eco-trail on our trip to the park was something I eagerly welcomed. This was my first eco-trail and my partner had offered that I drive.  We'd flown from Cape Town, jumped in our rented car and set off looking at the flat plains of grasses as we motored towards Phalaborwa.

Shilowa you say? Yes, if you trace the Old Main Road between Letaba and Shingwedzi on a map of the Kruger National Park, you should find the name. A little known fact is that it is also the name of the third stopover on the Lebombo Eco-Trail, which is a guided 4x4 trail that runs between Crocodile Bridge in the south and Crooks Corner in the north over five days.

A little north of Shingwedzi in the mopane shrubveld of northern Kruger, a new four-day hiking trail opens up areas once inaccessible to visitors. Wild Kate got a taste of what it’s like to walk on foot and meet animals up-close.

A quick getaway to Kruger's north delivers sightings galore.

We’re not the sort who have eyes for nothing but the Big Five; in fact, we take more pleasure in tiny agamas, whistling rats and unobtrusive owls. But it’s hard to resist the allure of lions when they lay on a smorgasbord of brilliant sightings like we’ve had in the Kgalagadi over the past few days.

So-called albinism is not common in animals. But sightings of these animals do occur. Trevor Carnaby explains this phenomena.

We got back to our rondavel at Letaba camp in time for lunch, only to find a delegation of four khaki-clad Parks staff exiting and locking the door behind them.

When we popped in to visit to the ‘elephant museum’, or info centre, at Kruger’s Letaba camp, we thought it might be a good way to cool down in air conditioned luxury for 20 minutes, away from the heat and humidity outside (32 degrees and 80% humidity, ouch!). What we discovered was a place that deserved much more detailed attention.

Olifants camp is transformed. After more than two years of plaster dust and sacking barriers, the renovated restaurant and shop have at last been revealed. And what an improvement.

Get ready for one of the country's best charity rides. The BIKE4BEASTS mountain bike event starts on 19 September and hopes to raise R150 000. This year the event is in aid of lions – read more about this year's event, its history and future plans.

How would you like to win a two-night stay at the Tinga Private Game Lodge in the Kruger National Park? What about two nights at Kings Camp in Timbavati, or a pair of Pentax binoculars? If so, read on...

Day visitors to most of the Kruger National Park’s main camps now have the option of taking a break in one of the excellent day visitor areas. I have recently visited the facilities at Satara, Letaba and Skukuza. They all come highly recommended.

On Thursday 22 April 2010 Skukuza, the biggest elephant in Addo Elephant National Park was killed. Five years before his death, which resulted from a fight with another elephant bull, Skukuza had lived in Kruger National Park.

Hardus Brits and Thato Segapo are two ill little boys, but like so many other boys they dreamt of seeing animals in the wild. Their dreams finally became a reality when SANParks and Reach For A Dream made it possible for them to visit Kruger National Park during April 2010.

Die vyfde grootste ruskamp in die Krugerwildtuin is ideaal geleë op die suidelike oewer van die kronkelende Letabarivier. Dit kombineer stilte met genoeg blyplek en baie geriewe. Geen wonder dit is menige gesin se gunstelingkamp nie.
Deur Deon Schoeman

David Alston rediscovers the magic of the Kruger National Park on the Sweni Wilderness Trail.

“Impala meat doesn’t make for good breyani,” chuckles Dr Yoganand Kandasamy, “the flavour’s too strong. But warthog, that makes an excellent curry.”

Day 2 takes travellers from Mlondozi to Pumbe and has a surprise in store for us

Most people will say that their favourite tree in the winter, in the Lowveld is the Marula Sclerocarya birrea. This indigenous tree has two distinctive features that make it easy to find when there are no leaves in its canopy and less general greenery around to hide its characteristic bark. Firstly, the bark often peels in unusually rounded depressions, revealing smooth, pink-brown under-bark. Secondly the large main branches divide rapidly into branchlets that end in short, stubby ‘finger-like’ twigs, which are conspicuous against the winter sky.

One of the benefits of working in Wild areas...