The continent of Africa is not only known for the incomparable Sahara desert, but also for its abundant wildlife. A prime example of this is ‘Kruger National Park' in South Africa, abode of amazing wildlife.
Located in the north-east of South Africa and bordered by Zimbabwe and Mozambique, the 112 years old Kruger National Park is one of the largest of its kind in the whole world (around 2 million hectares in size), even larger than quite a few countries!
It is not just the size or virginal nature that makes this National Park truly well-known… It is the diversity of wildlife, harmoniously blended with historical and archaeological sites - unrivalled in Africa.
Indeed, the statistics reveal an impressive species-list: 1982 species of plants, 114 species of reptiles (including 3000+ crocodiles), 34 species of amphibians, 50 species of fish .…. above all, 147 species of mammals (the most in an African wild reserve) with endangered ones like the African Wild Dog, and 517 species of birds!
Kruger is a rare abode where all the elite ‘Big Five' animals (the term referring to "five most difficult animals in Africa to hunt on foot" - African Lion, African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard and Rhinoceros),
….. together with the ‘Big Six' in birding (Ground Horn bill, Kori Bustard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pel's Fishing Owl and Saddle-bill Stork).
Armed with such an enviable diversity, Kruger National Parks offers truly rewarding wildlife safari experiences, debated as the best in Africa as well as many other regions across the globe.
Here most of the wildlife trails are overnight – lasting several days in areas of dense wilderness, practically untouched by humans! Really an indescribable African experience ‘at its most wild' !
Good times ahead for wildlife enthusiasts and naturalists. Kruger is now part of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Park, a peace park that links this National Parks with its neighbors in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Here fences are slowly coming down … animals can roam around more freely in near future, in much the same way as it would have been before human intervention.
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