Summertide Diary: Arriving at Mountain Zebra

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31 December 2020

It’s a 210km drive from Addo‘s Main Rest Camp to the gates of the Mountain Zebra National park, and we arrive just after 13:00. The rest camp lies about 12km into the Park, but it’s hot and most animals are hiding from the midday summer sun and we don’t see much of them before reaching the camp.

Entrance to Mountain Zebra National Park
Salpeterkop
Sickle-winged Chat
Very hot Pied Crow

After checking in we make our way to our allotted unit, cottage 20, and while Marilize and I unpack the car and settle into our accommodation Joubert is already out exploring and enjoying the birdlife in camp.

Chalet 20 at Mountain Zebra National Park
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (photo by Joubert)
Karoo Prinia (photo by Joubert)

Time to go exploring as a family, and off we go to the Rooiplaat and Ubejane Loops before returning to camp three hours later.

Doornhoek Dam nestles among the foothills of the Bankberg
Mountain Zebra National Park’s wide open spaces
Blesbok
Blesbok
Blesbok eyeing a Black-backed Jackal with some suspicion
Southern African Ground Squirrel
Mountain Zebra National Park’s wide open spaces
Marsh Terrapin
Common Fiscal
Sweet Thorn tree with Sparrow-Weaver nests
Red-billed Quelea
Southern African Ground Squirrel
Meerkat (photo by Joubert)
Meerkats
Meerkat (photo by Joubert)
African Spoonbill
Mountain Zebras
Red Hartebeest
Spike-heeled Lark
Wind-blown Secretary Bird
Pale Chanting Goshawk
Clouds hanging over the hills of Mountain Zebra National Park
We’ve not often seen Warthogs at Mountain Zebra National Park on previous visits
Arriving back at camp

2020 draws to a close with a beautiful sunset over the hills of the Mountain Zebra National Park

The last sighting of the year: a Raucous Toad next to the swimming pool in camp.

We posted a special feature about Mountain Zebra National Park following a previous visit, if you’d like to learn more about this special destination.

Map of Mountain Zebra National Park from the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/images/parks/mountain_zebra/mznp-map.jpg)

20 thoughts on “Summertide Diary: Arriving at Mountain Zebra”

  4. H.J. for avian101

    Fist thing I noticed…the difference on the terrain, with large open areas, it must have a large amount of running animals. and not much water. Thank you, D. 🙂

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Mountain Zebra National Park’s right at the convergence between the dry Karoo and wetter grasslands that cover most of the eastern high plateau of central South Africa, H.J. This varied landscape makes it well suited to host a wide variety of animals and birds.

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