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Southern
Kruger travel info
The South is part of the original Sabie Game reserve that was
proclaimed in 1898 by then president Paul Kruger. It is home to some
of the most popular camps in the park as the wildlife is prolific. The
geology is staggering with huge granite bolders strewn across a
densely vegetated landscape. A hippo pool with nearby bushmen
paintings is a major draw card. Granite outcrops among the seringa,
marula, tamboti and wild olive trees provide scrambling platforms for
klipspringers (miniature antelope), and viewing platforms for lions.
White rhino, wild dog and leopard are common to this area. Acacias
provide shelter and food to the larger herbivores such as giraffe and
elephant, while the Crocodile River provides twilight viewing of
towering elephants, gracious waterbuck, dainty impala, the occasional
baboon and the elusive predator quenching their thirst at dusk.
Numerous excellent rest camps surrounded by an area teeming with
wildlife make this region the most popular.
Seasons
The best time to see game is during the winter months (April -
September), as water is restricted to rivers and waterholes, where the
wildlife congregates. Visibility is also good as the vegetation is
less dense. Summer (October to March) is lovely due to the rains -
everything is lush and green, and the birding is excellent. November
and December are the calving months.
Wildife
You should see: elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, warthog, lion,
spotted hyaena, baboon, hippo, Impala, Kudu, Vervet monkey, waterbuck,
tsessebe, wildbeest, bushbaby, bats, mongooses, duiker, steenbok,
klipspringer, genet, vultures, owls, bee-eaters, rollers, eagles,
bustards, hornbills, starlings, shrikes
You may see: Leopard, wild dog, Roan antelope, Sable antelope,
Bat-eared Fox, rhino, honey badger, porcupine, rhebok, aardvark,
aardwolf, civet, caracal, serval, suni, pangolin, Rock Dassie, Scrub
Hare
Precautions
Malaria area - minimize mosquito bites by wearing light, long sleeved
clothing and using effective insect repellents (containing
Diethyltoluamide DEET) on exposed skin. Sleep under treated mosquito
netting or ensure that the doors and windows of your accommodation are
screened against mosquitoes. Having a fan or air-conditioner on at
night will further suppress mosquito activity. Currently, the three
effective anti-malaria tablets are Mefloquine (Lariam or Mefliam),
Doxycycline and Malarone (Malanil). It is still possible to contract
malaria while on malaria prophylaxis. Note that Lariam may present
serious side-effects - please test before you depart.
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