Kruger National Park
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa, offering world-class safari opportunities. It covers an area of 19,633 sq km (7,580 sq mi) in in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 kilometres from north to south and 65 kilometres from east to west – in other words around the size of Jutland.
The park has one the highest concentrations of wildlife, it is home of Africa's Big Five: Elephant, Lion, Rhino, Leopard and Buffalo and because of tight restrictions on hunting, the animals have become remarkably tolerant of a traveler’s attention. Here in the iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa you will find some of the world’s best safari opportunities!
History of The Kruger National park
Areas of the park were first protected by the government in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926. It was the Boer Republic of Transvaals president, Paul Kruger, who was a passionate hunter, that in 1898 recognized the need for protection of the nature and the wild animals. He started by establishing the Sabie Game Reserve. Then the Shingwedzi was created in 1906 and in 1926 the three areas were unified to create the Kruger National Park. The park has since then been expanded several times.
Recently, the fences to the adjacent private wild game reserves where taken down, so that the animals could move freely in an even bigger area. The so called Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park of 35.000 sq km was created, which is only a few thousand kilometers smaller than all of Denmark. This area extends all the way into the neighboring countries Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and this work has meant that the population of animals of southern Africa is beginning to resume some of their original migration routes.
Diversity of animals
In the Kruger Park there are 147 animal species, 507 bird species, 34 amphibians, 116 reptiles, 1980 plants and tree species and 50 species of fish (which can be hard to get a glimpse of). For example there are 27.000 buffalos, 5.100 giraffes, 86.000 impalas, about 1.000 leopards, 1.500 lions, 5000 rhinos and around 12.000 elephants.
You will find large grasslands with big herds of antelope that attract predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs and we can almost guarantee that you will see many elephants as their favourite mopani trees grow here. Around the rivers and the waterholes you will see hippos, elephants, giraffes, buffalos and many antelopes. The northern part of the park is a bit more wild and inaccessible, with a lot of buffalos, elephants, kudus and leopards.
An all-year destination
Kruger National Park can be experienced all year round. The climate here is hot subtropical and all four seasons have their highlights. You will not be disappointed regardless of what time of year you choose to visit the park. A lot of people prefer spring and fall, because it almost doesn’t rain and the days are sunny and warm.
The winter (April-August) has still warm and sunny days, but relatively cold nights and normally no rain. (A warm jacket or sweater will be necessary in the mornings and the evenings). There are fewer leafs of the trees, less water in the rivers and consequently it is easier to spot the animals. The summer is warm, often really warm and humid. It rains more and the rain falls in short and heavy tropical showers, primarily in the afternoons and at night.
