The body in charge of South Africa’s national parks was formed in 1926 and it manages 19 parks, about 3% of the total surface of the country.
The most famous park is undoubtedly the Kruger Park. It is also the oldest as it opened in 1898.
It covers nearly 20,000 square kilometres. It was created to protect endangered species but also to offer hunters a quality game reserve. It became an official national park in 1926 and more and more tourists came to visit it.
Winter is the ideal season to visit the park, temperatures are mild and there is plenty of water so you can see wild animals drinking at waterholes.
There are over 515 bird species in the park, half of them being residents. You can also find all the big five game animals (lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalos and rhinos). The park also houses more than 150 species of reptiles and amphibians.
The park has 9 main gates, for example Crocodile Bridge Gate.
Here is a short list of beautiful wild animals tourists can admire in South African parks :
the lion |
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the cheetah |
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the rhinoceros |
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the hippopotamus |
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the giraffe |
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the elephant |
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the leopard |
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the buffalo |
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the zebra |
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the impala |
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the greater kudu |
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Tourists can stay in on rest camps or safari lodges.
If you want to know more about the Kruger park, click here!
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