Year in the Wild Blog

The fierce and delicate of Pafuri

My guide at Pafuri Camp was Brian Kelly, an American who came to South Africa originally to work as an archaeologist at the Cradle of Humankind near Sterkfontein, but ended up falling in love with the bush (who can blame him!). He now works as the lead trails guide at Pafuri. “I prefer studying live things to dead things!” Brian said. America’s loss is certainly Africa’s gain..

You really
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Pafuri Camp – my last stop in Kruger

My time in Kruger National Park is coming to an end. I have now spent a month here, exploring the 2 million hectare reserve, and I’ve really only seen a small part of what it offers. It’s such a huge, diverse wilderness that it deserves to be explored slowly, again and again. It’s impossible to absorb and appreciate its plethora of wonders in one short trip. A month is way too short…perhaps a year is enough time?

I decided to end my trip with three days in Pafuri in the far north of Kruger.
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Leopard kill!

I've recently witnessed my first leopard kill. I am now at Punda Maria camp, the most northerly camp in Kruger.

Two nights ago, Thomas Mathebula and Themba Mnisi took me out on a sunset drive. We didn't see too much initially, but on our way back to camp, we came across a female leopard stalking in the grass on the side of the road. At first, we thought it was aiming for a spring hare, which bounced away as soon as the leopard approached. But the cat was clearly seeing something we
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Kruger National park – Lion encounter on foot!

There's something about walking up to a snoozing lion that clears the cobwebs from your brain.

We were on a morning walk at Lower Sabie rest camp, with armed field guides Irving Knight and Promise Silinda. The guided morning walks are a great way to start your day while staying in Kruger.

At 5:30am, we had driven from the camp to an area where Irving thought there may be lots of wildlife.
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Kruger National Park – at the centre of South Africa’s soul

Kruger National Park. One of the world’s most famous wildlife and wilderness areas. More than 360kms long, and 65kms at its widest. It covers more than 2 million hectares (or 20 000 square kilometres) of bushveld, savannah, koppies, kloofs, woodland, riparian forest and rivers.

Larger than many small countries, it’s a bastion of conservation and one of our country’s most valuable assets, socially, ecologically, commercially - and spiritually. (It's one of the country's most visited
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