The Big Kruger Game Viewing Guide: expert Kruger National Park Safari Tips

Everybody should aim to go wildlife viewing in the Kruger National Park at least once. This leading South African game reserve boasts an astonishing range of fauna, making it a bucket list destination for any animal lover. We consulted a few experienced Kruger tour guides for some invaluable insider knowledge and game-viewing tips for maximizing your chances of seeing a variety of wild game – both well-known and rare – in the Kruger National Park.

Kruger Wildlife Guide Overview:

1. Big Kruger Game
2. Other Kruger Wildlife
3. Africa's Big Cats in Kruger
4. Small Cats of Kruger
5. Canines of Kruger
6. Birdlife of Kruger Park
7. General Wildlife Viewing Tips

Big Kruger Game - Africa's larger beasts 

Let’s start our wildlife guide with how to spot some of the bigger and more popular wild animals of Kruger National Park, including the elephant, hippo, zebra, wildebeest, rhino, eland and kudu – and big cats such as the lion and leopard.

Finding Elephants in Kruger

The African elephant is one of the most common animals in the Kruger National Park. Its sheer size usually makes it easy to spot on game drives. Elephants roam right across the breadth and length of Kruger, making seeing one likely almost anywhere in the park.

However, as most sightings are of small groups of elephant bulls, measures are required to see the more elusive breeding herds. These elephant herds consist of 30-40 individuals, including calves, led by a matriarch. They are usually found along rivers, where the matriarchs can lead the young elephants to drink.

Time of year: Though visitors can see most wildlife in the Kruger at any time of year, the best period for seeing elephants – and most animals in Kruger National Park – is in the cooler rain-free winter months (May to August).

Likelihood of sighting elephants in Kruger: 9/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

North of the Olifants River there also is an abundance of mopane trees, whose leaves are a much-favored elephant snack. However, be warned that due to the dense nature of the mopane foliage, elephants are actually much harder to spot here than the more open veld in the central, eastern, and southern ranges of Kruger National Park.

Finding Hippos in Kruger National Park

Like its fellow pachyderm, the hippo is another safari mainstay that is generally a sure bet to see in any Kruger river and many of its dams. Often only its hairy nostrils will be visible sticking out of the surface, as it prefers to spend most of its time submerged (and can in fact easily walk underwater).

Time of year: The best time to see a hippo out of the water is during the wintertime when they leave the water to warm up on the riverbanks.

Likelihood of sighting hippos in Kruger: 6/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

Hippos are not always that easy to locate and can be a little elusive. However, try to find out which of the Kruger dams they are currently frequenting the most and you should be able to see them easily. Hippos live in large groups, so when you see one, there should be plenty more.

How to Find Zebra & Wildebeest in Kruger National Park

Zebra and wildebeest are another two of the most common animals in Kruger National Park. The best area to try and find either of these herbivores is the grassland in the central section of the park - anywhere from north of the Sabi River to the Olifants River, on the plains or under cicada trees.

Likelihood of sighting zebras and wildebeest in Kruger: 10/10

Insider Wildlife Watching Tip:

Wherever there are large concentrations of either zebra and wildebeest in the park, there are likely to be several lions stalking them (for more on lions see below).

Finding Impala in Kruger National Park

Another popular animal commonly found in the Kruger National Park is the impala, which is a sedentary herding animal. They are literally everywhere, with the biggest concentrations probably in the south of the park, along the Sabi River. They are usually not found in the mopane shrub veld, however.

Time of year: Impala are prevalent year-round, so there is no real ideal period to best see impala – unless there is a major drought, when they may roam further than their limited grazing range to find food. There are however no major animal migrations in the Kruger like in East Africa.

Likelihood of sighting impala in Kruger: 10/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

As with the zebra and wildebeest, great concentrations of impala mean a higher chance you will see their main predators. In this case, it would be the leopard – so keep an eye out for these stealthy cats stalking the great impala herds (for more on leopards see below).

Seeing Rhinos in Kruger National Park

While the black rhino and the white rhino can be found in the Kruger National Park, they are ‘critically endangered’ and ‘near threatened’ respectively – and can thus be extremely difficult to spot. White rhinos can be distinguished from black rhinos by their broader mouths.

Likelihood of seeing rhinos in Kruger: 5/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

Generally, white rhinos are more than likely going to be found in the south of the park, the area around Berg En Dal, Pretoriuskop towards Skukuza and the grazing on the plains between lower Sabi and Crocodile Bridge. Black rhinos are also most prevalent in the south of Kruger National Park but are more difficult to see as they prefer to browse for food in bushy thickets.

Finding Eland in Kruger

Despite being by far the largest of the antelope species in Kruger Park – a full-grown male can weigh almost half a tonne – the eland is one of its most elusive animals in Kruger and is very seldom seen.

Likelihood of sighting eland in Kruger: 3/10.

Game Viewing Tip:

The majority of Kruger's eland population is found in the far north of the park, from Letaba upwards. However, there are also regular sightings, up towards Punda Maria and even down south of Letaba, though it is very rare in the south.

Finding Kudu in Kruger

Last, but not least, out of the larger animals popular with Kruger visitors is the equally impressive kudu, which is abundant in the park. These large antelopes can tower over a man – and can thus be a cinch to find, with a little luck.

Likelihood of seeing kudu in Kruger: 7/10

Wildlife Spotting Tip:

The kudu is a browser and can be seen in places where there is thick foliage and lots of trees. Look out for the large spiral horns to locate a male kudu.

Other Kruger Wildlife - the cute, cuddly & weird African animals

The Big Five of Africa and their more popular cohorts aside, there are many other lesser-known (or at least lesser spotted) animals in Kruger National Park that visitors may want to be on the lookout for.

Our pick of the top five animals to see here includes the scaly (but oddly cute) pangolin, the bushbaby and the honey badger. And then, of course, there are the freaky alien aardvark and the downright strange-looking aardwolf, with the body of a small hyena and a face and ears reminiscent of a bat.

Finding Pangolins in Kruger National Park

Sadly, due to its popularity with poachers, these cute, scaly ant-eating nocturnal mammals are now a rarity and visitors to Kruger National Park can count themselves incredibly lucky if they do spot one. Many park rangers and wildlife guides can spend years in the park without ever seeing a pangolin.

Likelihood of finding pangolins in Kruger: 1/10

Game Viewing Tip:

Keep your eyes open in the camps and lodges. Though experts in camouflage, pangolins are seen here from time to time as it is the best place for them to avoid predators – and poachers. Pangolins are also nocturnal so look out for them after dark if you really want to see one.

Finding Aardvark & Aardwolf in Kruger

Like the pangolin, the aardvark and aardwolf are both also extremely rare. Their rarity is however more due to being preyed upon by lions rather than poachers (several internal fences have been recently removed in the Kruger increasing the range of these apex predators). They are generally most prevalent where there is an abundance of termites and termite hills.

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Likelihood of seeing aardvark in Kruger: 2/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

The aardvark and aardwolf are also nocturnal and will most likely be spotted after hours rather than during the day, though the latter can be sighted at sunrise and sunset. Should they be high on your must-see list, ensure you take a night drive to increase the chances of spotting one.

Finding Bushbabies in Kruger National Park

Fortunately, the remainder of this eclectic bunch is much easier to spot than the pangolin, aardvark and aardwolf. The two cute and cuddly bushbaby primate species are among the easiest animals to find in Kruger National Park.

The slightly larger, thick-tailed bushbaby is mainly located near rivers, up in the trees, especially near Skukuza on the Sabi River. The smaller bushbaby or nagapie can be found just about anywhere in the park, especially in or near acacia trees.

Likelihood of seeing bushbabies in Kruger: 9/10

Game Viewing Tip:

Being nocturnal lurkers, bushbabies are often spotted at night by torchlight or in car lights. Their yellow eyes are highly reflective and can stand out up to 300 meters away. So when you see a big pair of golden eyes jumping up and down ahead of you, you will know you have seen a bushbaby.

Seeing Honey Badgers in Kruger

Like the bush baby, this animal you will not need a great deal of luck to see, as it is extremely bold. Try the Satara rest camp or along several of the roads in the south of Kruger National Park for honey badgers.

Likelihood of sighting honey badgers in Kruger: 4/10

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

Though mainly nocturnal, honey badgers are also often seen during the day, so keep an eye out for their distinctive black and white markings as you try to spot other wildlife on your Kruger safari.

Large Antelopes of Kruger - Finding the Big Buck

There are also several buck, large and small, worth keeping an eye out for in Kruger National Park. These include black sable, roan and tsessebe, all of which are most likely to be found in the dense bush in the north of the national park, the latter around the Punda Maria area.

Likelihood of seeing large buck: 6/10 for the sable and tsessebe, 3/10 for the roan, which is much rarer and unlikely to be seen anywhere south of the Letaba river, though there have been sightings in the far south in the past.

Small Antelopes of Kruger - Finding the Little Buck

For the smaller buck, the most common are the duiker, steenbok and waterbuck, which can be found throughout Kruger Park, especially around the rivers and dams.

As the name indicates the bushbuck requires very thick vegetation to hide from predators. Even more elusive among the small buck are the klipspringer and grysbok. The former congregate around any rocky outcrops, whereas the latter is mostly found in the north.

Game Viewing Tip:

If you really want to see a klipspringer in Kruger Park, try the drive between Skukuza and Tshokwane.

Likelihood of finding small buck in Kruger: 7/10 or even higher for duiker, steenbok and waterbuck, 3/10 for the likes of the klipspringer and grysbok.

Africa's Big Cats in Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park features a quartet of big cats: the lion, white lion, leopard, and cheetah. Though not impossible to spot, a sighting of any African big cat is always a special treat for visitors to the park.

Seeing Lions in Kruger National Park

Unsurprisingly the largest concentrations of these kings of the jungle (actually savannah) are found around the Satara area in central Kruger, where they prey on the vast herds of buffalo, zebra and wildebeest.

Likelihood of finding lions in Kruger: 6/10.

Finding White Lions in Kruger National Park

Once thought to be extremely rare, white lions are surprisingly prevalent in the Kruger National Park, with a recent sighting of a male and female along the Nwanetsi River road, just east of Satara. There are also sometimes white lions around Tshokwane, between Satara and Skukuza.

Likelihood of seeing white lions: 2/10.

Seeing Leopards in Kruger National Park

Just as the central section is best for lions, probably the best area to see a leopard is along the river courses. Leopards love rivers - giving them easy access to plenty of water and the very large trees that are found on riverbanks which these cats climb to rest, hunt or devour their prey. Not to be confused with cheetahs, which prefer open grasslands to dense bushes and trees. Here's how to tell the difference between leopards and cheetahs.

Likelihood of spotting leopards in Kruger: 5/10.

Wildlife Watching Tip:

Go to the Sabi River area and you are likely to see leopards due to the abundance of impala. Keep a look out for their distinctive silhouette in the boughs and branches of the tallest trees.

Finding Cheetahs in Kruger National Park

With only a few hundred cheetahs in Kruger, a measure of luck and good timing is required to spot these speedy African cats. These sprinters of the savannah require open, sparsely vegetated areas to run down their prey, so they won’t usually be found in places with thick bushes.

Likelihood of seeing cheetahs in Kruger: 3/10.

Game Viewing Tip:

Though your chances of seeing a cheetah are slim, try the quieter, less-travelled roads to increase your odds.

Small Cats of Kruger

There are also many smaller cats in Kruger National Park, including the caracal, civet, serval, genet, and African wild cat. The spotting of any of these feline species is quite rare and something to appreciate and be celebrated by the more discerning visitor to the park.

Likelihood of spotting small cats in Kruger: 3/10. 

Wildlife Viewing Tip:

Of these carnivore species, the African wild cat is the most prevalent as it can be found in a variety of habitats across the park; try the lower Sabi area, Satara and near the Oliphants to find them.

Canine Predators of Kruger

Next up in our Kruger wildlife guide - canine predators. The canines of Kruger Park include jackal, hyena, wild dog and the bat-eared fox.

Bat-eared foxes in Kruger

The bat-eared fox does not exist in the Kruger National Park except north of Letaba, where it frequents the mopane shrub veld and is extremely rare.

Likelihood of seeing bat-eared foxes in Kruger: 1/10.

Hyenas of Kruger

Conversely, the hyena is as ubiquitous in Kruger Park as an animal can get. At night they can be heard grunting and laughing outside the campsites and can be spotted all across the park.

Likelihood of seeing hyenas in Kruger: 7/10.

Wild Dogs in Kruger

The wild dog, which hunts and makes spectacular kills in packs, is a highly underappreciated and efficient nomadic predator of the plains. It can be found fairly widely across the park, but is more common in the south, between Orpen Camp and Talamati.

Likelihood of seeing wild dogs in Kruger: 5/10.

Game Viewing Tip: 

For those wanting to see African wild dogs, the best months are June to July when these canines are raising their young in their dens and cannot roam too far. Wild dogs also tend to avoid lions, who see them as competition and sometimes kill them.

Jackals in Kruger

There are two kinds of jackals in the Kruger National Park: the side-striped and the black-backed jackal. The latter is most common from the lower Sabi to the exposed plains of Satara and around Letaba. Unfortunately, however, sightings of both jackal species are extremely rare.

Likelihood of finding jackals in Kruger: 1/10

Birdlife of Kruger National Park

Predictably for the birding enthusiast, Kruger National Park is a treasure trove, especially in the summer months from December through January, when migrating birds can be seen in abundance.

Nevertheless, three perennial birds stand out as the discerning visitors’ must-sees: the martial eagle, the southern ground hornbill and the scops owl. These birds are all fairly common around the park. The martial eagle especially is seen regularly in the central section of Kruger.

Unfortunately, the hornbill is losing its habitat due to the large number of elephants in the park knocking down the trees in which it nests, but they are still widely visible throughout Kruger.

Insider Birdwatching Tip:

The scops owl is the most common owl species in Kruger. Listen out for its distinctive warbling whistle, especially around the campsites at night.

Sighting likelihood: 8/10.

General Wildlife Viewing Tips

Best Time for Game Viewing in Kruger National Park

For a start, the early morning or late afternoon – when the wildlife is more active – is the best time of day to view wildlife in Kruger National Park, rather than the hotter middle part of the day.

For those visiting in summer, it is best to watch the weather and try to pick a cooler day to view certain animals (particularly on the open plains), when you are likely to see a greater variety of animals moving around. You may even be lucky enough to catch a lion hunt.

Better yet, try to plan your visit to Kruger in the winter to increase your odds, especially if it is a lion kill you are after.

Kruger Wildlife Viewing Tip:

Do not simply drive past a deserted waterhole. A popular belief is that if there are very few animals around, there will be no game-viewing action. In fact, the opposite is quite likely true. If you get to a dam with no wildlife, that is the time to stop, take out the binoculars scan all the bushes and wait for something to unfold.

What to Bring on Safari in Kruger National Park

For visitors to Kruger National Park, pundits recommend neutral clothing appropriate for the time of year, as well as lots of sunblock, a decent sun hat, malaria tablets, solid shoes, sunglasses and at least a small set of binoculars.

Kruger Safari Tip:

Bring a decent torch. One of the most overlooked items visitors forget to bring to the Kruger is a good flashlight (and no, the one in your phone does not count). A good torch is important for personal safety, especially for spotting snakes when walking about camp in the dark. It will also increase the chances you might see something around the rest camps at night.

Self-Drive or Organised Kruger Tour?

All experienced Kruger tour guides agree that for international visitors, an organized Kruger tour is the best way to go. Popular with South Africans, the advantages of self-driving include a much higher degree of independence, and the ability to set your own daily agenda (as well as contain excited kids who might otherwise disturb other visitors).

However, an organized tour is a much better bet, especially for international visitors who want to ensure you see as much wildlife in the shortest possible amount of time. On organized tours, you benefit from the knowledge and experience of your guide.

Daily communication between the tour guides and rangers, about where the different animals can be found, is another major perk that is not available to those who are driving around the park in their private or hired vehicles.

A final word on Game Viewing in Kruger National Park

While there is nothing wrong with entering Kruger Park with a specific list of the most popular wild animals you might want to see, most long-time Kruger tour guides advocate a more holistic approach to spotting animals here.

Do some additional research and also keep your eyes open for strange and special finds. Tune into the ecosystems of the African bush and take time to appreciate every sighting, big or small, common or rare. Above all, be open-minded and cherish the spectacular environment of Kruger National Park itself. Enjoy watching the wild ones!

Reach out and speak to a Kruger Safari expert to get the best value for money and see as much of Kruger's wildlife as you possibly can on your African adventure.

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