Wildlife

Ever wondered why lions have manes or why leopards seem to spend so much time in trees? Maybe you’ve found yourself questioning how guides know a track is fresh, or why some animals are spotlighted at night while others are left in the dark.

Our guides hear these questions all the time - usually somewhere between a coffee stop and a sighting! So, we thought it was time to put guides James and Khutso from Misava, and JV and Lola of Amani, to the test. In this new Ask Our Guides series, they tackle some of the wildlife questions guests ask most often and share a little insight into the fascinating world of the African bush.

It started as a tracking conundrum. Though we often see leopard tracks following familiar routes as they cross the winding roads of the Klaserie, they rarely stay in one place for long - unless there’s a kill nearby. Every now and then, however, something doesn’t quite add up. A glitch in the pattern. That was the case one morning in mid-March. Little did Guide James know that he was about to stumble upon something quietly extraordinary.

When heavy rains arrive and rivers begin to swell, it can feel sudden and unsettling from a human perspective. Roads disappear, bridges close, and familiar landmarks change almost overnight. But what about our wildlife? The recent flooding in the Lowveld - with levels of rainfall not seen in over 25 years - has prompted many to ask this very question. And while floods can certainly bring challenges, they also mark the beginning of renewal, abundance, and change. So, let’s take a closer look at how floods shape life for wildlife in the Greater Kruger.

The magic of going on a safari in the Greater Kruger is that you never know what might be around the next corner. A herd of elephants playing at a waterhole, zebras grazing out in the open, or a leopard dozing in the shade of a marula tree. However, one particular afternoon in December went far beyond even our guide’s expectations. Little did we know then that it would soon become a moment that etched itself deeply into the memory of everyone present....

Life for the prides of central Klaserie has been anything but simple. Power struggles, breakaways, and heartbreaking setbacks have dogged recent years. But with new males rising, cubs being born - and lost - and the lionesses fighting to protect their future, it’s a story as raw and real as the wilderness itself. Keep reading for the full update on the complex and ever-changing lion dynamics at Klaserie Drift.