Going on a night drive in the Kruger is a great experience and often the only chance to see the nocturnal denizens, with their highly developed senses of hearing, smell and specially adapted eyesight. We were on a mission to see three of our favourite: The polecat, the porcupine and the honey badger – all conspicuously coloured black and white as a warning to their enemies – back off!

Honey Badger at Kapama Game Reserve

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2012 floods at Lower Sabie. (Image by Dave Walker)

 
Moving water can be a powerfully destructive force and – when they occur – severe floods put the resilience of the environment to the test. Following the recent floods, the total cost of damages to structures such as roads and bridges as well as gates, camps and picnic spots at Kruger National Park stands at over R153 million. But, with minimal damage to tourism infrastructure, most guest bookings rerouted and almost all of the functionality restored to the Park’s operations, what are the lasting effects of this extreme phenomenon on the natural environment? Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Valentine’s Day again and love is in the air (causing men and women everywhere sleepless nights and hours of agonizing over gifts). We like to keep it simple, so we called on our Facebook fans to share their original photos of paired-up animals and they responded with some awesome pics. We’re posting the best of the best here, and the full album on our Facebook page, so check them out. Whether or not you’re getting all worked up over V-Day, you have to admit these are pretty sweet: Read the rest of this entry »

Heavy rains almost as devastating as 2012′s have once again swept through Mpumalanga, affecting many of the roads, bridges and camps in the Kruger National Park. Now that the worst is over and the worst-affected areas have been cleaned up, most areas are open to the public. But what if you plan on visiting the Park during this period – what happens to your booking and how do you manage it? Read on to find out what to do in the event of a natural disaster… Read the rest of this entry »

 
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner but humans are not the only species feeling the love. We put together some pictures of our favourite South African animals with their significant others and the wallpaper (1600X1200) is free for you to download. Just click the image above and save it, then set it as your desktop and wait for the compliments to roll in! Read the rest of this entry »

Giraffe

Following the amazing popularity of the hidden animal photo on our Facebook page (can you spot the camouflaged cat?), we wanted to bring you more animals that have mastered the art of going incognito. Can you spot the animals camouflaged in these photographs? Read the rest of this entry »

Every year, readers of the luxury travel bible, Conde Nast Traveler, vote for the best places to stay around the world. No fewer than fourteen stunning South African hotels  were selected as winners of this year’s prestigious Conde Nast Gold List. Five of these spectacular sites are set adjacent the Kruger National Park and four of these were awarded additional “platinum circle” status for making the exclusive list every year for the last five years. Take a look at the five South African lodges safari dreams are made of… Read the rest of this entry »

Does the thought of a 9-5 day behind a desk make you shudder? Do you long to drive a 4×4 in search of adventure, preferably in a pair of khaki pants? Do you often think you could do a better job of shining the spotlight on night drives? Then the life of a game ranger could be the career for you. The tourism industry is booming in South Africa and this has opened up doors for people with a passion for our diverse wildlife. If you want to be a ranger, here are some basics to get you started: Read the rest of this entry »

We are always in awe of wildlife photographers, especially those whose work features Africa’s amazing landscapes. One such photographer is Chad Cocking, whose stunning animal portraits and bush vistas never fail to take our breath away. Chad works largely from Motswari Private Game Reserve, where he is a professional field guide. He’s won a host of photo competitions (as well as our hearts) with his gorgeous images of the bush and its inhabitants.

Chad has kindly allowed us to share some of his 100 Favourite Images of 2012, so we put them together in a collage for your desktop. Click on the image above for a hi-res version (1024×786) and then save and set as your desktop background. And, voila, a game drive on your lunch-break!

It’s been a busy year for wildlife in South Africa. From the massive floods experienced in the Kruger National Park in January, to the continuing battle against rhino poaching, there was seldom a dull moment for wildlife enthusiasts. Hippos and roan antelope fought off an unexpected anthrax infection that could have devastated their populations. The Park was forced to operate without many of its staff, including rangers, who went on strike early in the year over wage disputes. Nevertheless, tourism boomed in the first half of the year, with almost twice the number of international visitors in South Africa than 2011. Perhaps this was thanks to Table Mountain’s new-found fame as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

What’s your most memorable wildlife moment of 2012? Connect with us socially, or tell us in the comments!