Game-viewing in Kruger (May and June 2019)

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When talking about “game-viewing”, most people immediately have images of Africa’s iconic Big Five flashing through their minds. And of course our recent trips to the Kruger National Park did not disappoint at all when it came to these most charismatic of African mammals, as well as many other furry creatures great and small.

This first gallery of pictures were taken during my solo trip to the southern part of the Kruger Park between 30 May and 2 June 2019.

Grooming Chacma Baboons
Baboon youngster thinking of mischief
Blue Wildebeest with an unusual chevron mark on its muzzle
Blue Wildebeest having a rest in the shade
Blue Wildebeest herd
Buffalo bull
Buffalo cow
Buffaloes next to the Sabie River
Bushbuck Ram at sunset
Grey Duiker
Dwarf Mongooses settling an argument in the camping area at Pretoriuskop
Dwarf Mongoose standing sentry atop a termite mound
Elephant youngster enjoying a snack while crossing the road
Elephant herd quenching their thirst at Shitlhave Dam
Elephant enjoying a mud bath
Elephant bull at Mestel Dam
Baby Ellie
Big Elephant Bull in contemplative mood
In the hot African sun any shade will do!
Giraffe
Giraffe
Giraffe
Hippo gang at Sunset Dam
Baby Hippo at Mestel Dam
Impala ram on the bank of the Sabie
Klipspringer
Big Kudu Bull
Immature Kudu Bull at Biyamiti Weir
Mating Kudus
Lioness on the bridge at Lower Sabie
Lions in the grass next to the Crocodile River
Plains Zebra
Plains Zebra
Spotted Hyenas in profile
Spotted Hyena youngster bullying a sibling
Steenbok pair
Tree Squirrel in the camping area at Pretoriuskop
Vervet Monkey youngster with a pod of some kind
Grooming Vervet Monkeys
Waterbuck Bull
Waterbuck Calf
Waterbuck Cow
Waterbuck herd at Transport Dam
Warthogs investing in their future.
African Wild Dogs

There’s also much interest in the Kruger’s invertebrates (including a bounty of beautiful butterflies), fish, amphibians and reptiles, many of which are difficult to see elsewhere in South Africa.

Water Monitor lizard
Marsh Terrapin encountered on dry land
Rainbow Skink
Striped Skink
Yellow-throated Plated Lizard
Baby Nile Crocodile
Medium-sized Nile Crocodile
Enormous Nile Crocodile at Sunset Dam
Tigerfish in the Sabie River
Juvenile Redbreast Tilapia
Speke’s Hinged Tortoise
Common River Frog in Skukuza
Platanna
Bushveld Rain Frog
Male Mozambique Tilapia (non-breeding colours)
Female Mozambique Tilapia
Young Nile Crocodile
Nile Crocodiles
Baby Nile Crocodile and Adult Water Monitor lying next to a pool in the Shingwedzi River
Matabele Ants
Solifuge a.k.a. Sun Spider
Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake
Striped Skink
Common Tropical House Gecko

Returning to Kruger two weeks later, this time to Shingwedzi in the north of the Park, proved just as fruitful with memorable encounters not only with predators and rare antelope, but also a menagerie of other mammalian species.

Blue wildebeest herd
Buffalo cow
Buffalo calf
Buffalo bull emerging from the mopane
Buffalo bull
Buffalo cow and calf
Buffalo cow
Buffalo on the Mphongolo loop
Half-blind Buffalo bull
Buffalo calf
Prime Buffalo Bull
Big old Buffalo Bull
Dwarf Mongoose standing sentry atop a termite mound
Elephant calf
Classically shaped ivory
Big old elephant bull
Tiny ellie baby
Elephant calf fast asleep
Beautiful elephant bull
Cute elephant calf
Elephant bull destroying a small tree
Beautiful elephant bull
Beautiful elephant bull
Elephant cow with interestingly shaped ivory
Beautiful elephant bull
Elephant cow with interestingly shaped ivory
Giraffe calf
Tower of giraffe
Grey Duiker
Common, or Grey, Duiker
Hippo in the dark, grazing past our camp
Honey Badger next to the fence at Shingwedzi
Impala Ram
Kudu bull
Plains Zebra foals
Plains Zebra with unique pattern
Plains zebra mare and foal
Scrub Hare next to the fence at Shingwedzi
Slender mongoose
Steenbok ram
Southern African Tree Squirrel
Vervet Monkey
Warthog
Waterbuck Bull
Bushbuck at the water’s edge
Tree Squirrel (Photo by Joubert)
Plains Zebra (Photo by Joubert)
Impala ewe (Photo by Joubert)
Kudu bull (Photo by Joubert)
Buffalo calf on the run (Photo by Joubert)
Buffalo cow (Photo by Joubert)

 

 

41 thoughts on “Game-viewing in Kruger (May and June 2019)”

  2. Pingback: What makes the Kruger “THE KRUGER”? | de Wets Wild

    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Baie dankie, Dina!
      Ja, daardie wildebees het dadelik my oog gevang – daar is n subspesie van die blouwildebees wat in Noord-Mosambiek en Suid-Tanzanie voorkom (die Niassa-wildebees) met so n merk oor die neus, so hierdie is moontlik te wyte aan n resessiewe geen wat bykans heeltemal uitgeteel is in ons bevolkings. Ek vind sulke dinge fassinerend!

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  8. Christer Nilsson

    A fantastic photo trip! From the smallest to the bigest! 😉 I guess you know that Africa in the 1960s and 1970s exported several hundred thousands animals to Australia. A very successful project, and very important. Well, small animals, not so cute perhaps but important. I wrote about this in my blog yesterday. I forgot to mention that it was “the dung beetle project”.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Anne

    Of all the wonderful photographs my favourite is the one of the Spotted hyenas in profile. It is good to get such positive view of them for they tend to get bad press rather than good.

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      1. Toortsie

        Verlede jaar in Julie. Ons het buite die wildtuin gebly en bedags ingery. Lieflik gebly en wild gesien vanuit ons huisie, maar om in die wildtuin self te bly is net iets anders.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. de Wets Wild Post author

        Ek verstaan heeltemal, dit is baaaaiiiieeee ver. So, jul kan sommer by die Karoo, Mokala, Bergkwagga, en Golden Gate Nasionale Parke oorstaan oppad Wildtuin toe en terug! 😛

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