Kruger National Park is one of the oldest parks in the world. Kruger National Park Where is Kruger Park

22.10.2019

The provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo in South Africa are famous for their picturesque landscapes of untouched nature. Here is the oldest world-famous Kruger National Park. It is rightfully considered the pride and heritage of South Africa and is one of the most large objects wildlife on the ground.

A bit of history

This reserve occupies a vast territory, about 350 kilometers from north to south and 60 kilometers from west to east. This is approximately 20 thousand square kilometers, but it is planned to expand soon. Kruger Park is a wonderful example of how wildlife can be managed without negative interference.

national park has no boundaries between individual states. Animals inhabiting the reserve can freely move around it. The park is named after Transvaal President Paul Kruger. The decision to establish it was taken in late XIX century.

The main purpose of creating this reserved place was the protection of the animal world from extermination. Here, hunting is currently strictly prohibited. The honored father of this place is the first caretaker James Stevenson Hamilton, he put a lot of effort into the development. The opening of the territory for free visiting was made in 1927.

What is the attraction of the Kruger National Park?

In winter, the vegetation here is less lush, which allows you to get to know the inhabitants of the Kruger Park most closely and conveniently. And there is something to see! Animals are drawn to the water in the morning and in the evening.

Kruger Park is famous for its "population". More than 2 thousand different species grow here. tropical plants. The world of flora is represented by as many as six ecosystems, from savannah to forest areas near water bodies.

The main attraction of this park is the baobab, which is more than 25 meters thick, so only a few dozen people can hug it.

Here you can meet more than 500 species of birds, about 100 varieties of reptiles, about 50 species of fish.

But the most interesting here are the animals. The territory of the park is inhabited by more than 250 thousand animals, so it is sometimes called "Noah's Ark". The park is famous for living in it "big five", which include buffalo, lion, elephant, rhinoceros and leopard. These animals are considered the most powerful and dangerous enemies of a person on the hunt.

Visitors are invited to observe the life of animals live or on video cameras. There are numerous sightseeing tours, so you can meet the residents of the park in person. But you can’t move around here on your own, only with the “rangers”, as the local guides are called. It's just dangerous, because wild animals live here.

In addition, on the territory of the Kruger Park you can admire the curious examples of paintings made by the ancient tribes of the Bushmen on the rocks. There are also the most curious excavation sites where archaeologists worked.

Park visit

The park is located in the subtropics. In summer, there is a humid heat here, the thermometer rises to almost forty degrees. And the winter here is dry and mild, this time of the year is the most optimal for visiting the reserve by tourists and guests.

The charter of the reserve includes the following phrase: "The park belongs to the people." This means that it is constantly open for visits. More than a million tourists from all over the world come here every year.

The park is located a few hours drive from Johannesburg. You can get into the reserve through the so-called gates, which are located from nine directions. But it is worth considering that it is impossible to be in the park without guides, and at night it is generally prohibited. It is simply life-threatening, in addition, a fine is imposed for an unauthorized visit.

The territory of the National Park includes various camping sites and loggias, which allows guests to stay with all the amenities. There are options to suit every taste, from campsites to luxury suites that have luxurious baths and pools.

In the largest Skukuza camp, you can find cozy cafes and restaurants, gas stations and libraries, shops and even a golf course. There is an airport and a hospital, and it is easy to rent a car for travel. Reservations are made in advance. More than 3.5 thousand people are engaged in customer service and maintenance of order in the Kruger Park.

The Kruger National Park is one of the few places on earth where original nature has been preserved. Here opens the most amazing world of animals and plants, which without the intervention of President Kruger would have been lost long ago. And only thanks to the creation of the reserve, people now have an amazing opportunity to look at the rhinoceros or antelope in the conditions of their wild life, and not through the bars of the cage in the zoo.

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The Kruger National Park or Big Five Game Reserve is the largest and oldest safari park in South Africa, covering 19,000 km².

Geography of the park

The Kruger National Park occupies two of the 9 provinces of South Africa - Limpopo and Mpumalanga. It is 350 km (217 miles) long and 60 km (37.2 miles) wide. The east of the reserve is located near Mozambique, and its northern border is formed by the Limpopo River and the countries of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Safari park cut through a few major rivers. These include Letaba, Limpopo, Sabi and Umgwenya ("Crocodile River"). The landscape is made up of plains, which are sometimes destroyed by the Lebombo mountain range, which runs from north to south along the border with Mozambique. Most of the park lies between 260-440 m above sea level. The most low point is located in the Sabi Gorge, and the highest (839 m) is south of the safari park in Khandiv near Malelan.

nature reserve

Various climatic conditions affect the diversity of flora that thrives in each area of the park.

Zone 1

The area north of the Elephantes River to Limpopo is the hottest and driest. The area is dominated by mopane trees. They are not afraid of poor, alkaline soils and unstable rainfall. Nature has intelligently adapted mopane for such conditions: when the heat becomes unbearable, the leaves of the plant fold along the middle of the stem.

This allows the sun's rays to fall directly on the ground, and thus the tree retains moisture. It casts a bad shadow, but absorbs a minimum of heat. The leaves are fragrant, the taste and smell resembles turpentine, while mopane serves as a food source for antelopes and elephants.

Zone 2

In the area south of the Elephantes River on east side The reserve is dominated by acacia trees. This area has high rainfall and more fertile soil than the previous one. Succulent grasses provide ideal pasture and support a high animal population. Herd mammals live here.

Zone 3

The largest area in Kruger Park is between the Umgwenya and Elefantes rivers, immediately west of the acacia grove. This zone is inhabited by antelopes, and red shrub willow flourishes among the plants.

Zone 4

The area between the Sabi and Umgwenya rivers receives approximately 760 mm of rain per year. Present here big variety trees, including acacias. AT large quantities combretum grows. Also grows a giant sycamore, sclerocaria. Blooming Central Asian pear, red and orange erythrina.

Interesting fact! Here you can find a bleeding tree, which got its name because of the dark red juice.

Zone 5

The smallest area (South Africa) is located in the valleys of the Luvuvu and Limpopo rivers, along the northern border of the reserve. Territory occupied a tropical forest, consisting of a huge fig, black, red, iron tree, wild hevea and many baobabs. Here is also the Valley of the Giants.

Wildlife Park Big Five

The vast territory of the reserve is home to more than 147 species of mammals, 114 species of reptiles, 51 species of snakes, 49 species of fish and 508 large species birds that no longer have counterparts in South Africa.

Due to the vast space, some species of animals prefer certain areas. In each of them the vegetation is different. In the northern areas, visitors can find saber-horned antelope, topi, common eland and bush elephant, while in the southern and central areas, plains zebra, southern giraffe and rhinoceros. Buffaloes are common in the northern and central areas of the safari park. Hippos can be found in almost all rivers and large pools with a constant stream.

Large carnivores, including leopard, lion, cheetah and wild dogs, are distributed throughout the reserve, but are most often found near large populations of various game. Although both black-backed and striped jackals can be found in the region, it is the former that is more common. Big-eared foxes prefer the open plains north of the Letaba River.

The Kruger National Park is home to all five primate species found in South Africa. The most common are baboons and green monkeys. In perennial rivers, on the banks of large basins and dams, Nile crocodiles. Visitors also watch various types turtles (black-bellied and marsh), which sometimes appear in the water. Of the 51 species of snakes, the most dangerous to humans are black mambas, Mozambique spitting cobras, African vipers and tree pythons.

Bird watching is very popular. Visitors like the camps of Lower Sabi, Punda Maria and Shingwedzi.

Several species of birds nest in the Kruger. These include: martial eagles, African bustards, kaffir horned crows and figurines. Of the 6 species of vultures in the park, African eared vultures, brown vultures and African vultures are the most common. AT summer time bird watchers often spot silver eagles soaring overhead.

Kruger Park from the inside

Kruger Park consists of approximately three parts. fertile southern part, dotted with mountains and rivers with thick bushes, is by far the most popular. Camps are located throughout the territory, as well as shops, a gas station and a restaurant. The unique Lower Sabi camp, due to its location, allows you to spend the night at the watering place. Elephants come here at night. You can also see entire families of warthogs.

The central part is more open and flat. There are several campsites here, including Lebata, where, among other things, there is an elephant museum with a large collection of skulls and tusks. The Satara camp is located near the watering hole. This place attracts herbivores and, therefore, lions - their natural enemies.

The northern region above the Lebata River is famous for its bird watching. Shingweji camp is famous numerous types birds, but other animals can be seen here, including lychee, antelope and kudu.

Interesting fact! Mopani is one of newest camps reserve, located on the Pioneer dam. It is especially popular in winter, when there is little water, and a lot of animals gather on the territory.

Climate and weather

Kruger Park has a warm, subtropical climate. Most year it is hot here (above +25°C).

November to December:

The summer months are very hot and humid. Accompanied by continuous rains.

Temperature in November: (+/-) 16 - 32°C
Temperature in December: (+/-) 18 - 34°C

January to April:

As a rule, these are drier months with very hot days.

Temperature in January: (+/-) 18 - 34°C
Temperature in February: (+/-) 18 - 33°C
Temperature in March: (+/-) 18 - 33°C

This is the autumn period. Dense green shrubs acquire Brown color. Cool at night but still warm during the day. Thunderstorms may occur in the afternoon.

Temperature in April: (+/-) 13 - 28°C

May to June:

AT winter months at night and at dawn the temperature drops sharply. The vegetation turns completely brown and the trees begin to lose their leaves.

Temperature in May: (+/-) 13 - 28°C
Temperature in June: (+/-) 9 - 26°C

July to August:

A very dry period and therefore it gets cool early in the morning and at the end of the day. Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are inactive during this time.

Temperature in July: (+/-) 9 - 26°C
Temperature in August: (+/-) 12 - 28°C

September to October:

Spring is the height of the dry season with hot winds and colorless, sparse vegetation. The first rains fall at the end of October.

Temperature in September: (+/-) 12 - 28°C
Temperature in October: (+/-) 16 - 32°C

Attractions of the Kruger Park

Rock paintings of the Bushmen. Scattered throughout the park. Ask at any camp if they can be found nearby.
Ruins of Masorini. Iron Age site with museum near Phalaborwa Gate.
Ruins of Albasini. archaeological finds 19th century Portuguese merchant at the Fabeni gate.
Tulamela. A 500-year-old archaeological site in the Pafuri Triangle in the northernmost part of the park.
Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library. James Stephenson-Hamilton was the reserve's first warden. The museum is located in the Skukuza camp.
Elephant Museum "Letaba". House of tusks and skulls of the magnificent seven elephants. Each tusk weighs over 50 kg! The museum is located near the camp of the same name.

Excursions in the park

Safari tours usually start in Johannesburg and take the Mpumalanga Panoramic Route to the Kruger Park. Meals are included, and accommodations range from chalets to large dome tents in the southern or central regions parka. A transfer from the airport to the place of rest and back is also organized.

Experienced rangers have extensive knowledge of the wildlife, birds and native flora of the reserve, and also guide all hiking trails. Campsites are located near the river. They consist of double tents equipped with toilet and shower. Camp staff cooks and cleans while a guide introduces you to African wildlife.

Exclusive holiday lovers traditional cuisine under African skies, personal service and adventurous safari can book luxury apartments in the private reserve of Sabi Sands, Timbavati, Claserie or Thornybush.

The cost of the tour varies from 98 USD to 486 USD.

Conclusion

The Kruger National Park is one of the oldest, most famous and largest African reserves. Locals call it wildtuin ("wild garden"). The park has big size and divided into different ecological zones, therefore, almost all types of African animals are present here. At the same time, in large numbers: more than 13,000 elephants, 5,000 giraffes, 86,000 antelopes and about 5,000 rhinos!

Kruger is far enough away from major cities South Africa. The nearest of them - Johannesburg - at a distance of over 400 km. However, this is no reason to be upset! Just like in New Zealand, people go to South Africa mainly with one purpose - to enjoy the beauty of nature and see animal world, so it is almost impossible for an independent traveler to do here without renting a car. And once you have a car, then the issue can be considered resolved. The roads here are excellent and you can easily get here in just a few hours.

The territory of the park is huge. Kruger is one of the largest national parks in the world with an area of about 20,000 (!) sq. km. A week is not enough to drive around it completely. However, I had been traveling in South Africa for a month now, and my trip was coming to an end, so I had only a day to inspect the Kruger. “What living creatures can be seen in a day in such a huge reserve?” - you ask. As it turned out, almost all the animals that South Africa is so famous for!

There are several entry points to the Kruger. The distance between them is hundreds of kilometers, so the day before it was necessary to decide in advance where to go. To visit the park, I chose one of the most recommended entrances by other travelers - the so-called Crocodile Bridge. The opening hours of the park are from 6 am to 6 pm (depending on the season, the time may vary slightly).

The best chances to see the animals are in the early morning and an hour or two before sunset, so at 6 am I was already standing in front of the gate. According to the rules established here, you can freely drive around the territory in your car, but strictly on roads that are not allowed to turn off. There are many country roads here, so getting to any part of the park is not a problem.

The only thing you can't do is get out of the car. It is understandable - no one wants to be responsible if suddenly one of the locals decides to try you for breakfast. Time was not long in coming. Ten minutes later I saw the first inhabitants of the park!

Soon the sun rose, and an endless savannah opened up to my gaze, on which here and there grazing huge herds antelopes.

After a while, I realized that I was not the only one watching the antelopes ...

I sat in ambush for a long time, watching what was happening, but the attack was so fast and swift that even with the high-speed camera mode, only blurry silhouettes of a cheetah and its victim appeared on the frames. The fate of the antelope was decided in a matter of seconds...

Meanwhile, the elephants and baby elephants were returning from the bank of the river. They first bathe and then shower themselves with columns of dust to protect themselves from the sun and insects.

There are a lot of elephants in the Kruger, so I met them on my way more than once or twice. However, like giraffes and antelopes. Whom I was looking for long and hard, but still I saw in the afternoon - these are rhinos!

On the savannah in the thick grass here and there, in some places the merry fellow Pumbaa and his friends ran. There was no shortage of zebras in the Kruger either!

The lions did not fare well that day. Here when you get there. But still, I managed to see a lioness very close, literally at a distance of several meters, resting from the heat in the shade of trees. But cheetahs and elephants, as they say, climbed right under the wheels. To see a cheetah so close is, by the way, a great success.

Hippos with crocodiles, escaping from the heat, sat in the river all day, practically not sticking out. Only the nostrils and eyes protruded. Only in the evening they decided to warm up a little and swim.

In the park you can also meet baboons, water buffaloes, birds of prey etc.
From the photo it may seem that the animals there are just teeming with swarms. In fact, this is not entirely true - after all, the territory is huge, and the animals do not sit there in enclosures, like in a zoo. Tem happier moment when you get close to them! But you need to be prepared for the fact that you may simply not be lucky to see all the animals in one day.

Returning to the hotel in the evening, I met a couple from Canada who paid a lot of money to the tour guide in a special car with a high body, but the guys came back with almost nothing. At the same time, on the same day, I saw all those animals for which I traveled here to distant lands. Maybe because he rushed like crazy around the territory all day without lunch until the very closing?

Some practical information for those who travel alone:

1. Car rental in South Africa is quite cheap. It is more profitable to rent online at once for the entire duration of your trip. A new subcompact car with almost zero mileage cost me about $20 a day. Moreover, I did not book anything in advance, but found the car via the Internet upon arrival.

2. There are so-called lodges (hotels) on the territory of the park. The prices in them - both for excursions in the park, and for accommodation and meals - are simply dray. I recommend staying in a town located 8 km from the Crocodile Bridge, but already outside the park. There is a huge selection of accommodation for every taste and budget, as well as a gas station, a supermarket, etc. The prices there are much lower than for housing in the park. For example, I paid only $15 for a private room, because at that moment there was practically no room in the hostel.

3. Go to the park by 6 am, and preferably half an hour earlier - you will have more chances and time to see the animals. An hour or two after the opening, tourists begin to arrive in the park, as well as those independent travelers who have stopped for the night in another city located 100 km from the park.

4. Until recently, to see wild animals in the Kruger or other places in Africa, tourists relied solely on chance and on the experience of guides. By the way, I also hoped only for luck. However, now everything has become much easier! And all thanks to one 15-year-old South African boy who became famous all over the world for creating a smartphone application that allows lucky people who see wild animals to immediately report it to other users, indicating the coordinates. Thus, your chances of success are greatly increased!

5. Daily entrance ticket will cost only $23, for children under 12 years old there is a 50% discount. You don't have to pay for a car. Visiting the park on your own by car is much more profitable than those tours that are offered in hotels outside the park. A seat in a tall open jeep will cost you $90 on top of the cost of the entrance ticket to the park itself. The benefits of riding in an open jeep are dubious - a whole day in the heat without air conditioning. And even though I had a small low-seat passenger car and there was no guide, I was very pleased with what I saw! What do you wish!

By the way, Africa is the only country in the world where slavery has not been abolished. You can see how people live in Mauritania on the website of the club "My Planet".

Alexander Khimushin

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The very first African reserve and one of the very first reserves in the world, the Kruger National Park is familiar to all lovers unique nature South Africa. Let's talk about this unique corner of nature in more detail.

When white people began to move to South Africa in the distant 17th century, they were amazed at the abundance of various exotic animals that lived in the savannah and in the forest thickets. However, by the end of the 19th century, the herds of African wild animals had noticeably thinned out.

The reason for this was the predatory, absolutely uncontrolled hunting, which was carried out not only by the Boers (descendants of the first white settlers) and the English colonists who lived in South Africa, but also by numerous travelers and amateur hunters who rushed to the Black Continent for exotic adventures. Every noble British gentleman considered it his duty at least once in his life to go hunting in Africa.

In fairness, it must be said that the Negro tribes treated the wild nature no better than the whites, but their Negative influence on the African animal world was significantly limited by two factors: 1) they had very little firearms, but shooting from a rifle is still more effective than from a bow; 2) they hunted to get food for themselves or to obtain goods for barter with whites (skins, ivory), but never hunted for sport.

The current situation could not but disturb the President of the Republic of South Africa Transvaal Paulus Kruger, who sincerely loved the nature of his homeland, was well versed in the habits of birds and animals that lived in South Africa, and even knew how to imitate the voices of all South African birds.

In 1898, President Paulus Kruger created a nature reserve on the territory where the Transvaal bordered Mozambique, between the Limpopo River and the Crocodile River. The reserve was named "Sabi-Game" - after the name of the Sabi River, one of the rivers that flowed through its territory. The Sabi-Game reserve, where hunting was completely prohibited, became the very first protected natural area in Africa, and one of the very first in the world.

However, the very next year, 1899, the Boer War broke out, and after the occupation of the Transvaal by the British in 1900, President Paulus Kruger was forced to leave for Europe, where he died in 1904.

However, the cause of President Kruger was not forgotten, and the Sabi-Game reserve he created was preserved by the British occupation authorities, and then by the authorities of the Union of South Africa, created in 1910, which united the self-governing English colonies, including the Transvaal.

In 1926, the Sabi-Game Reserve was transformed into a National Park and named after its founder, President Paulus Krueger.

The difference between a reserve and a national park is as follows: any human activity is prohibited in the reserve, while tourism is allowed in the national park. Thanks to the admission of tourists, the Kruger National Park has become one of the most popular places for excursions, where many lovers of African wildlife have come before and today. For tourists in national park named after Kruger, more than 20 camps for recreation and temporary residence are equipped. Each camp is located on the territory characteristic for the habitat of a certain group of animals and birds. Around a million tourists visit Kruger Park every year. different countries peace.

Currently, the Kruger National Park remains the largest protected natural area in Africa - its area is twenty thousand square kilometers (which is equal to the entire area of \u200b\u200bIsrael or half the area of Switzerland). The Kruger National Park stretches for 350 km from north to south and 60 km from east to west along the border with Mozambique, between the Limpopo and Crocodile rivers, and, in addition, the territory of the Kruger National Park is crossed by the Olifants and Sabie rivers, which divide it into three conditional parts: northern, central (where the highest concentration of wild animals in the world) and southern. The park also has the Lebombo mountain range (near the border with Mozambique).

In the Kruger National Park you can find interesting specimens rock art ancient bushmen and see archaeological sites.

Kruger National Park is characterized by the fact that the climate in it is transitional from tropical to subtropical. In summer it is hot and humid here, the temperature often exceeds 40 degrees. The rainy season lasts from September to May. perfect time to visit the Kruger Park - this is a dry winter season, as there is less chance of contracting malaria (still not defeated by African continent) and not so hot.

The flora of the Kruger National Park is geographically divided into six ecosystems, gradually moving from savannah to woodlands and riverine forest thickets. In total, there are 1982 species of plants, including the pride and main attraction of the African plant world - the baobab, a tree of immense thickness (the circumference of the trunk reaches 25 meters!).

Kruger National Park is home to 527 bird species and 147 wildlife species, more than any other African national park or game reserve.

As of 2009, the Kruger Park's population of major mammal species was approximately:

* 90,000 impala antelopes
* 27,000 African buffaloes
* 17,800 zebras
* 11,700 elephants
* 9,600 wildebeest
* 5,100 giraffes
* 4,500 white rhinos
* 3,000 hippos
* 2 000 spotted hyenas
* 1 500 lions
* 1,000 leopards
* 350 black rhinos
* 350 wild African hunting dogs
* 300 eland
* 200 cheetahs

Visitors to the Kruger National Park can watch animals using hidden cameras, as well as "live" - during car tours of its territory. Excursions around the park can only be made accompanied by guards - “rangers”, since excessive curiosity and attempts to approach animals at too short a distance can anger wild animals, and an angry lion is, you know, not a domestic hamster at all.

The Kruger National Park remains one of the few areas where wonderful world African wildlife, and the significance of this unique natural object will only increase over time - man's offensive against nature is constantly intensifying, and if President Kruger had not created this reserve, who knows whether it would be possible today to see an elephant or a rhino in wildlife, and not in a zoo cage?

Download photos of African animals, natural landscapes and beautiful scenery from the Kruger National Park (total 110 quality beautiful photos) can be free of charge.

Kruger National Park is one of the first national parks in the world. The online magazine Factinteres will tell you more about this National Park.

Kruger National Park is located in South Africa. In the 17th century, "white" people began to move to the territory of South Africa, and were surprised by the nature of these places. Then the "white" man saw many exotic animals and plants. True, in the 17th century the ranks of exotics very thinned out.

Cause of extinction a large number animals of these places became uncontrolled hunting. At that time, both local residents and visiting tourists-hunters who were looking for adventures on the Black Continent were engaged in hunting animals. For example, every British young man with money considered it his duty at least once to go to South Africa to hunt.

However, there is no need to "throw stones" at "white" people: at that time African tribes no less destroyed the animal world of those places. The only difference is the weapons. At local residents tribes did not have the abundance of firearms that tourists and visitors had. Plus, the Negro tribes did not hunt for fun, as tourists did. It was hunting that allowed such tribes to survive in that environment.

Watching the extermination of that huge variety of wildlife, the then president of the Transvaal Republic, Paulus Kruger, decided to stop it. It is no secret that Paulus Kruger loved his homeland very much and understood what the current situation could lead to. In 1898, Kruger organized a nature reserve on the border between his republic and Mozambique. Then the territory of the Sabi River and the territories adjacent to it fell under the protection of the state. Hence the name of the reserve - Sabi-Game.

Unfortunately, a year later, the Anglo-Boer War began, which ended with the victory of the British, and, as a result, the occupation of the Transvaal by the British. For obvious reasons, Paulus Kruger had to flee to Europe, where, by the way, he died 5 years later. Only now the business started by Kruger did not die: the local English authorities preserved the reserve. Since that time, the territory of the reserve has never been deprived of the status of a protected zone.

In 1926 Sabi Game Reserve has been redesignated as a National Park. It was also decided to give the park the name of its creator, Paulus Kruger.

What is the difference between a national park and a nature reserve?

The difference is that ordinary tourists cannot get into the territory of the reserve, which cannot be said about the National Park. This is what has made the Kruger National Park one of the most popular parks in the world.

To date, more than 20 visitor camps have been established in the Kruger National Park. More than a million people from all over the world visit the park every year.

What is interesting in the Kruger National Park?

Whole vegetable world The national park is divided into 6 ecosystems. In total, there are more than 1980 plant species in this park. As for the fauna, there are 527 species of birds and 147 species of other animals. Thanks to these indicators, we can safely conclude that the Kruger National Park is indeed the largest in Africa.

Even today, anyone can enter the Kruger National Park. Thanks to Paulus Krüger, this gem of nature has remained protected. Unfortunately, the influence of mankind on nature is increasing every year. It is thanks to the many National parks, as well as nature reserves around the world, we can observe animals in their natural environment rather than in little zoo cages.