South africa kruger national park. Kruger (national park): photo, description. Kruger National Park: Life Hacks

28.10.2019

Kruger National Park is the very first natural protected area in South Africa. The national park was founded in 1926. It is located in the south of the African continent, in the northeastern part of South Africa. The park bears the name of the country's president, Paul Krueger, who fought for the rights of the Boers and the sovereignty of the Transvaal.

The length of the park from north to south is 340 km, from west to east - 60 km. The total area is 18,989 sq. km. More than 1,300,000 people visit the Kruger National Park every year.

Kruger Park is located between the Limpopo and Crocodile rivers. The eastern border of the park area runs along the border with Mozambique. Inside the park is divided into 3 parts: northern, central and southern. The Kruger National Park is part of the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a large international reserve that also includes the protected areas of Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Prices

In the Kruger National Park, there are 3 main tariffs for visiting the territory. Payment is made in local currency - the South African rand.

For citizens of South Africa: 93/47 rand (adult/child).
For citizens of SADC (Southern African Development Community) countries: ZAR 186/93.
For foreign visitors: 372/186 rand.

The price is per day visit.

Flora and fauna

The predominant landscape of the park is savannah: woodlands, cereal fields, deciduous forests. The Lebombo mountain range runs along the border with Mozambique. The highest point of the park is 839 meters, the average height is 260-440 meters above sea level. According to natural differences, it is customary to divide the park into 5 zones:

Zone 1. The northern part of the park from the Elefantes River to Limpopo. This is the driest area of the Kruger Park. The vegetation here is dominated by mopane trees, which are able to twist their leaves in order to wait out the drought. Mopane leaves serve as food for elephants and antelopes.
Zone 2. The territory is located south of the Elephantes River. There is a higher level of precipitation. Acacias and succulent herbs predominate. Therefore, zone 2 is a habitat for gregarious ungulate mammals.
Zone 3. This zone occupies the largest area of the park - between the rivers Umgvenya and Elefantes, west of the acacia groves. The most numerous plant here is the red shrub willow. Antelopes predominate among animals.
Zone 4. This is a humid zone between the Umgvenya and Sabi rivers, in which a wide variety of herbaceous plants and large trees grow: from Central Asian pears to giant plane trees.
Zone 5. The smallest zone is located in the northern part of the national park. It is located in a valley between the Limpopo and Luvuvu rivers. Most of the territory is occupied by a tropical forest with large trees, including baobabs.

The central part of the park is recognized as the territory with the highest concentration of wild animals in the world. Hippos and Nile crocodiles live in the rivers. In the savanna there are 17 species of antelopes, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, cheetahs, jackals, big-eared foxes. Of the primates, there are green monkeys and baboons.

All the African Big Five animals are found in the park: lions, buffaloes, leopards, elephants and rhinos.

The park management reports the following figures: 12 thousand elephants, 5 thousand rhinos (the total number of black and white), 1.5 thousand lions, 1 thousand leopards, 2.5 thousand buffaloes. The territory is home to 51 species of snakes, including tree pythons dangerous to humans, spitting cobra, black mamba.

The Kruger Park is home to over 400 species of birds, including several species of eagles, vultures, guinea fowls and exotic birds such as Toko. Best birdwatching camps: Shingwedzi, Lower Sabi.

It is recommended to visit the park for observing animals and birds from March to October, during the dry season. At this time, the trees shed their leaves, which makes it easier to observe.

Infrastructure

It is customary to visit Kruger Park for several days. You can stop at one of the 30 equipped parking lots. The southern part of the park is the most popular with tourists. There are not only comfortable campsites and loggias, but also shops, restaurants and even a gas station. Especially famous is the Lower Sabie camp, which is located in the place of the night watering place for elephants.

There are also campsites in the central part, the most popular of which is Lebata. Here is the Elephant Museum, which exhibits a collection of skulls and tusks. The central part is home to the largest number of herbivores and wild cats hunting them. Parking lots and cafes with outdoor terraces are equipped at the watering places.

On the official website of the Kruger National Park, there is the possibility of online booking of accommodation. Accommodation in the park will cost from 89 rand for the most budget accommodation. Accommodation in tents is offered at a minimum cost. During the high season (March to October) it is recommended to book in advance. All campsites are equipped with toilets and showers. The 5-star lodges feature gourmet restaurants, swimming pools and golf courses.

There is even an Avis rental office on the territory of the park. It is located in Skukuza Lodge. Both independent trips through the park and guided tours are allowed. The cost of a day group tour starts from 198 rand.

Attractions and entertainment

In addition to getting to know the wild inhabitants of the African continent, in the park you can get acquainted with the cultural and historical heritage of the region or engage in active forms of tourism. The most popular attractions:

Rock paintings of the Bushmen tribe
Sites of the Iron Age
elephant museum
Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library

Trekking enthusiasts can go on a guided hiking tour along one of the equipped trails (there are 7 in total). A list of hiking trails with a description is available on the official website of the Kruger Park in Africa. If you are afraid of hiking, then you can choose adventure tours on SUVs, bike rides or golf tours.

How to get to Kruger Park in South Africa

The park can be accessed through one of the 9 gates. All gates are open from 06:00 to 17:30/18:00 from April to September and from 05:30 to 18:00/18:30 from October to March. The exact opening time of the gate is published on. Inside the park, the roads are excellent, but outside of it, there are problematic sections on the way to the park, depending on the place of your departure.

There are 3 airports near the park:

Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport. It receives flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town. The distance to the nearest gates of the park is 40 km. There are car rental offices at the airport, it is also possible to order a transfer in the national park.
Malelane Regional Airport domestic airport. The air harbor accepts private flights. The airport is located at the Malelane Gate.
Phalaborwa airport. A small airport located 2 km from Phalaborwa gate receives flights from Johannesburg twice a day. This airport is chosen by tourists who book accommodation in the northern part of the park. You can also rent a car here.

Panoramic view of the campsite

Video from Kruger National Park

History of the Kruger National Park
In 1884, with the initiative to establish a conservation area in the Lowveld, Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal. In 1898, the Sabie Reserve was created. It is located on the territory between the rivers Crocodile and Sabi. Hunting on these lands was limited.

Becoming the first national park in South Africa, it was formed on the basis of the Sabi and Shingwedzi hunting reserves on May 31, 1926.

In the current protected area, traces of Homo erectus were found: they lived in this area more than half a million years ago. In addition, the park has artifacts that date back to the Stone and Iron Ages. On the lands Kruger National Park there are approximately 130 places where cave drawings, as well as more than 300 archaeological sites, including ruins of Masorini and Thulamela.

Kruger National Park and its relief, climate and general information

The oldest national park in South Africa kruger park- located in the northern part of the country, in the east of the Transvaal between the rivers Crocodile and Limpopo, and is part of the Kruger-to-Canyons Biosphere Reserve, which was established in 2001. In the east, protected lands border on Mozambique and are part of.

From north to south, the length of the park, in general, is 340 kilometers. The total area of the park is 18,989 km². The rivers Sabie and Olifants form three main parts Kruger National Park: south, central and north. In addition, in the park, near the border with Mozambique, there is the Lebombo mountain range.

It differs in that the climate here is transitional from tropical to subtropical. Hot and humid weather is typical for the summer season, the temperature often rises above 40 degrees Celsius. The rainy season starts in September and ends in May. Dry winter is the best time to visit Kruger National Park: at this time, the likelihood of contracting malaria, which has not yet been defeated on the African continent, is minimal.

Kruger National Park and its flora

Territorial flora Kruger park includes six ecosystems that gradually move from savannah to riverine forest thickets and light forests. In general, there are about 1980 plant species on the lands of the park, among which there is the most important attraction and pride of the flora of Africa - baobab, a tree of enormous thickness: the circumference of its trunk can reach 25 meters.

In the territory Kruger national park the vegetation of the park savanna dominates, which is characterized by grasses, dry deciduous forests, light forests. located north of the river Olifants part of the park is weld mopane, while the southern part is thornveld. Within the park, 17 out of 47 species of trees that are under state protection grow (according to the list published in September 2004).

Kruger National Park and its fauna

Animal world Kruger National Park represented by 527 species of birds and 147 species of wild animals. The park is inhabited by crocodiles, lions, giraffes, leopards, rhinos, hippos, elephants, hyenas, antelopes (17 species).

According to information provided by the park authority, the protected area is inhabited by 5000 rhinos(both black and white) 1000 leopards, 2500 buffaloes, 12000 elephants, 1500 lions.

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.

The Safari Park is cut through by several large 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 lowest point is located in the Sabi Gorge, and the highest point (839 m) is south of the safari park in Handiwa near Malelan.

nature reserve

Different climatic conditions affect the variety of flora that thrive 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

The area south of the Elephantes River on the eastern side of 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. There is a wide variety of trees here, including acacias. Combretum grows in large numbers. 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. The territory was occupied by 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 bird species, which are unparalleled 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 common 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 pools and dams, Nile crocodiles are regularly found. Visitors also watch various types of turtles (black-bellied and marsh) that 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 buffoons. Of the 6 species of vultures in the park, African eared vultures, brown vultures and African vultures are the most common. During the summer, birdwatchers often spot silver eagles soaring overhead.

Kruger Park from the inside

Kruger Park consists of approximately three parts. The 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 known for its many species of birds, but other animals can be seen here, including lychee, antelope and kudu.

Interesting fact! Mopani is one of the newest camps in the 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 of the 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 turn brown. Cool at night but still warm during the day. Thunderstorms may occur in the afternoon.

Temperature in April: (+/-) 13 - 28°C

May to June:

During the winter months, temperatures drop sharply at night and at dawn. 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 of a 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 south or central areas of the park. 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 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.

Fans of exclusive holidays, traditional cuisine under African skies, personal service and adventurous safari can book luxury apartments in the private reserve of Sabi Sands, Timbawati, 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 is large and divided into different ecological zones, so almost all kinds 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!

The very first African reserve and one of the very first reserves in the world, the Kruger National Park is familiar to all lovers of the unique nature of 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 impact on the African animal world was significantly limited by two factors: 1) they had very few firearms, and 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 banned, 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. More than 20 camps for recreation and temporary accommodation are equipped for tourists in the Kruger National Park. Each camp is located on the territory characteristic for the habitat of a certain group of animals and birds. Every year, about a million tourists from around the world visit Kruger Park.

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 the most interesting examples of ancient Bushmen rock art 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. The ideal time to visit the Kruger Park is during the dry winter season, as there is less chance of contracting malaria (still not defeated on the African continent), and it is 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 population of the main 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 the amazing world of African wildlife has been preserved, and the value of this unique natural site will only increase over time - man's offensive against nature is constantly intensifying, and if President Kruger had not created this reserve, who knows, would it be possible today to see an elephant or a rhinoceros in nature, and not in a zoo cage?

You can download photos of African animals, natural landscapes and beautiful landscapes from the Kruger National Park (110 high-quality beautiful photos in total) for free.

Kruger National Park is perhaps the most famous and visited park in and one of the largest natural reserves in the world. Kruger National Park is known for its vast territory and the habitat of the famous "big five" animals: lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo. The length of the Kruger Park from north to south is about 350 km, its width is about 60 km, and the total area of the park is 2,000,000 hectares, which is approximately the size of Israel.

From the history of the Kruger Park

The first Europeans to come to this territory were the Dutch, led by Francos de Cooper, who was heading to the East to explore India. The newcomers were not welcomed by the local population, but over time hundreds of Europeans flocked here, attracted by stories about gold, valuable furs and ivory.

The first two factors could not but affect the population in this region. Worried about the current situation, the last president of the Transvaal, P. Kruger, persuaded parliament to declare this area a National Park. Thus in 1898 was founded Kruger National Park. Paul Kruger considered his task to be the preservation of flora and fauna, which were located between the rivers Sabi and Krokodilova. In the Charter of the Kruger Park, its creators proclaimed "The park belongs to the people." For visits, the national park was opened only after more than 20 years.

What is interesting about Kruger National Park

Kruger Park is an excellent example of how it is possible and necessary to live in good neighborly relations with nature. About 3,500 people are constantly employed in the park, whose duties include taking care of the well-being of the inhabitants of the park and serving its visitors. And there are a lot of visitors in the Kruger National Park. For them, campsites and parking lots of various levels of comfort, including 5 *, are equipped on the territory of the park.

In addition, there are several private camps here, some of which are among the best in the world. Perhaps the most convenient for tourists will be the Sabie-Sabie Game Reserve, which features three types of lodges: classic in hunting style, colonial and ultra-modern, similar to a steel and glass bunker.

There is an airport, car rental, gas stations, a hospital, a post office, shops, a restaurant and even a library. High-quality roads are laid throughout the park, traveling along which you can enjoy beautiful natural views, as well as see a huge number of representatives of the animal world.

The wildlife of the Kruger National Park is extremely rich. 147 species of animals with a total number of about 250,000 live here. The representatives of the “big five” are the special pride of the park: rhinos (2,800), (8,000), (800), lions (2,000), buffaloes (15,000). In addition, the park is home to many species of fish (50), amphibians (33), birds (507) and reptiles (114).

In addition to a simple inspection of the territory in the Kruger National Park for tourists, there are interesting hiking trails. There are beautiful waterfalls in the Pilgrim’s Rest area, in addition, Blyde River Canyon, which is considered the third largest in the world, and Robbers Pass are very interesting.

The park also houses the ancient city of gold miners Pilgrim's Rest. On the territory belonging to the Kruger National Park, numerous traces of ancient settlements, many, rock paintings of the Stone Age, which will appeal to lovers of ancient history, have been discovered. The best time to visit Kruger National Park is from May to September, when there is no rain.