South African animal trips- Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Situated just outside Sun City, the Pilanesberg Game Reserve stretches across 55 000 hectares of pristine South African wilderness. This malaria-free park is the fourth biggest national park in South Africa, and is perched on the eroded remnants of an alkaline volcanic crater, which is one of only three such craters in the world.

Pilanesberg national park lies within the transition of the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld ecological niches, commonly alluded to as the Bushveld. This allows for unique overlap of both fauna and flora from these two eco-niches.

The Pilanesberg National Park is also an area of unique geological merit; for, its structure termed the ‘Pilanesberg National Park Alkaline Ring Complex’, was formed by volcanic eruptions some 1 200 million years ago. In addition to its unique size, shape and rock types, the volcanic origin and resultant abrasion of the extinct crater has resulted in a wide variety of landscapes, offering some of the most spectacular sceneries in Southern Africa. It also provides a wide range of habitats for wildlife.

Visitors can decide to explore this wildlife sanctuary on a self-drive expedition, or go for a guided game drive at one of the numerous lodges within the game reserve.

In the park resides the big five; which comprise: buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhinoceros. Other wildlife species include: aardvark, cheetah, crocodile, hippopotamus, brown hyena, wild dogs, foot-and-mouth free buffalo, etc.

One of the most memorable styles to view the park is via a balloon safari, which enables sweeping views of the park’s fascinating landscape.

South African Safaris- The Madikwe Game Reserve

Madikwe Game Reserve is just 1.5 hours’ drive from Sun City; and is one of South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuaries.

Located in the North-West province of South Africa along the Botswanan border, 20 km (13ml) from Gaborone, the reserve lies within a transitional region between Lowveld bushveld and the Kalahari thornveld. As a result, the region is host to an incredible diversity of species from both ecosystems.

The Reserve is also 90km (56ml) north of Zeerust, about 3.5 hours' drive from both Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Madikwe lies outside the Southern African malaria belt, making it an ideal family safari destination. Geographically, the region is endowed with tremendous Inselbergs, sweeping open plains and riverines. The rich diversity of vegetation ensures a vast array of game; while the topography affords impeccable game viewing opportunities. Madikwe is home to 66 mammal species, including the big five; and over 300 resident and migrant bird species. The park also offers high standard accommodation at its lodges.

Yankari National Park - Nigeria (West Africa)

Yankari National Park is an extensive wildlife sanctuary, situated in the south-central part of Bauchi State, in North-Eastern Nigeria. The park covers an area of about 2,244 km² (870 ml²), embellished by numerous natural warm water springs, in addition to its spectacular assortment of flora and fauna. Established in 1991, Yankari is the largest national park in Nigeria, nestled in the very heart of the West African Savannah; rendering it an excellent venue for viewing animals in their natural habitat. It is also an area of undulating hills, mostly ranging between 200m and 400m; and culminating in the 640m high Kariyo Hill, the park’s highest altitude. The park remains the most frequented tourist destination in Nigeria; and on the whole, one of the most popular eco-destinations in West Africa. The Park’s main entrance is at Mainamaji village, about 29 km from Dindima.

Annual precipitation in the park measures between 900mm and 1,000mm. The rainy season spans May to September, with temperatures ranging between 18^OC and 35^OC. The hottest period generally occurs around the months of March and April, with daily temperatures sometimes rising above 40^OC; while night temperatures sometimes plummet as low as 12^OC.

In the dry season, larger animals in the park are most reliant on the Gaji River and its tributaries, as their source of drinking water. This river is the only watershed in the park, somewhat partitioning the wildlife sanctuary into two.

The wildlife to be viewed at Yankari National Park include African bush elephant, olive baboon, patas monkey, tantalus monkey, roan antelope, western hartebeest, lion, African buffalo, waterbuck, bushbuck and hippopotamus.

Yankari is known to harbour a stunning 350 species of birds; 130 of which are residents; 50 considered Palearctic migrants; and the rest deemed intra-African migrants, whose movements are restricted within the territorial boundaries of Nigeria.

Meaningful underground thermal activity at Yankari National Park has resulted in the presence of four warm water springs, comprising; Dimmil, Gwan, Nawulgo and Wikki; with the latter excelling in size and depth. Wikki spring is about 1.9m deep and 13m wide. The water of Wikki spring also maintains a constant temperature of 31.1 ^OC, both day and night; throughout the year.

Important geographical features in the park iclude Kalban Hill, Kariyo Hill, Paliyaram Hill and the Tonlong gorge.

The “Wikki Camp” is the principal accommodation area for visitors. Located about 42km (26ml) from the main entrance gate, the camp comprises 110 furnished chalets, which vary in size and quality; from the most pampering to least exclusive.  

Virunga Gorilla Forest-Uganda, Rwanda and DRC

Gorillas are an interestingly special type of primates, owing to their humanlike bodily gesticulations. They constitute the largest class of Apes, with a relatively short but very sturdy body and coarse dark hair. This awesome species of primates is native to the Central region of Africa, which offers them a highly comfortable and natural resident of a flourishing thick forest. With only approximately 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, beholding the opportunity to sight these fascinating creatures in their natural habitat is truly not an everyday occurrence. About 480 mountain gorillas dwell in an extinct volcanic region known as the Virunga; a territory shared by the countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Therefore, each of these three countries has its share of this stretch of land that is inhabited by mountain gorillas. The remaining 400 mountain gorillas dwell in the thick rainforest in the nearby area of Bwindi, in Uganda.

For Uganda, there are two thriving parks where one can engage in gorilla sighting. They comprise the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Mgahinga National Park is located on the extreme south-west section of Uganda, on the slopes of the Virunga Mountains; in the area of Uganda’s border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This interesting park encompasses a total surface area of 73km² (28ml²). Apart from gorillas, other animals that can be spotted in the park include leopard, buffalo, bushbuck, golden money, birds etc.

The Bwindi National Park is located in South-West Uganda; and is inhabited by about 400 mountain gorillas. The park stretches across 518km² (200 ml²) of an extremely dense forest; and has been granted World Heritage Site status by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Also present in this park are chimpanzees, various bird species etc. To view mountain gorillas in Uganda, visitors are required to obtain a permit from the headquarters of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA), located in Kampala, the political capital city of Uganda. It is strongly advisable to book a permit well ahead of one’s scheduled gorilla-viewing expedition. If obtaining permits from the UWA proves somewhat problematic, one may want to consider purchasing an all-inclusive gorilla tracking tour from a professional and credible safari operator; such as Gorilla Trekking or Volcanoes Safaris.

Rwanda’s share of the gorilla tracking zone is situated in the north of the country. This is the Virunga National Park or the Parc National des Volcan (PNV), which covers an area of 119km² (46ml²), and encompasses six volcanoes.  Tracking gorillas in PNV is relatively more favourable than in the Bwindi Park, because gorillas there are comparatively less mobile; and the forest relatively less dense.

In Rwanda, one can obtain gorilla tracking permits from the Rwanda Tourism Board’s offices in Kigali, the political capital of Rwanda, or in Ruhengeri, close to Virunga National Park. It’s generally advisable to obtain a permit through a professional and credible gorilla tracking tour operator. In numerous instances, permits may be sold out well in advance. It’s thus strongly advisable to secure permits well ahead of one’s intended visit to this gorilla sanctuary.

Democratic Republic of Congo’s share of the Virunga Gorilla Sanctuary is known as Parc National des Virunga. The park is situated 32km (20ml) from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. For the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), it’s most appropriate to arrange for permit acquisition through a safari operator such as Amohoro Tours.  

Gorillas can be tracked throughout the year, but the trails are generally less convenient for navigating during the rainy seasons; from March to April; and again from October to November.

The Waza National Park – Cameroon (Central Africa)

The Waza National Park is situated in the Logone-and-Chari Division, in the Far North Region of Cameroon, somewhere along the road between the towns of Maroua and Kousseri. Established in 1934 as a hunting-free area, the park quickly garnered popularity and gained national park status in 1968. The park covers an area of 1,700 km² (660ml²), and was listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) biosphere reserve in 1979. To the west of the park is the town of Waza. Cameroon’s northern neighbouring country of Chad, is just 10km away from the park. The Yaéré floodplain marks the east and north-east of the park; while the Maroua-Kousséri road is to the west.

The park’s habitat is mainly in the “Chad depression”, with average elevation in the range of 300–320 metres (980–1,050 ft), though the highest elevation is up to 500m (1,600 ft), near Waza Village. The topography of the park, however, is generally flat. Sand dunes in the western area of the park denote past desert conditions.

The vegetation in the park is dominated by the transition zone between the Sahel and the Sudan savannah, containing acacia and open Yaéré savannah forests. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife species, including: lion, leopard, lyre-horned cob, olive baboon, patas, nocturnal aardvark; cheetah, vervet monkey, elephant, hyena, hartebeest, roan, Buffon’s kob, waterbuck, reed, gazelle, giraffe etc. The avifauna species inhabiting the park comprise geese, egrets, ostriches, herons, pelicans, jabirus and ibis.

The mammal population in the park is one of the largest in West Central Africa. Thirty species of mammals reside in the park. Elephants usually congregate at Mare aux Éléphants, a famous waterhole.  

The climate is mostly semi-arid, as the average annual precipitation is only 700mm (28 in) and erratic in character. The rainy months are June to October and the dry season is from November to May. The mean annual temperature is 28 °C (82 °F). The coolest month is December, recording a minimum mean monthly temperature of 16 °C (61 °F); and a maximum of 33 °C (91 °F). In April, just prior to the beginning of the rainy season, the minimum mean monthly temperature is 21 °C (70 °F) and the maximum is 41 °C (106 °F).

Waza park comprises a forest area that is open from November to June and wet grassland that is open from March to June. Accommodation is available at le campement de Waza.