Leopard – leopards are the shyest of the big cats, preferring their own company and hanging out in bush during the day and only emerging in the late afternoon to hunt for dinner. Leopards  mostly hunt at night although they will seize any opportunity for a kill. The illusive leopard is found throughout the Kruger National Park and if you are lucky you will spot one, they prefer dense riverine forest – especially along the Sabie River – and rocky outcrops.

Cheetah – cheetah’s are lean and wily, built for speed and can run at speeds over 110 km/h. Cheetahs use their speed for hunting, catching their prey off-guard and then running at it, full-speed. They usually eat quickly because they cannot guard carcass against scavengers. The Central Kruger is the favorite spot for the fast cheetah with sightings in and around Lower Sabie and the Crocodile River.

Caracal – caracal’s are highly secretive and difficult to observe. They are territorial and live mainly alone or in pairs. The caracal is a carnivore that typically preys upon small mammals, birds and rodents. Caracal’s have a variety of habitats but this secretive creature prefers the open savanna where there are rocky outcrops.

How to behave when you meet a cat in Kruger:

Be very quite, human noise will disturb the cats.

In most reserves, animals have become habituated to the vehicles used – and their shape. So do not stand up or move your arms and legs out of the vehicle, as this will frighten the animals and may result in them retreating or attacking.

Never try to interfere with the animals you encounter. This includes trying to change their behavior or position for a good photo shot and feeding them.

Please contact us if you would like some more information on visiting the Kruger National Park or some sample packages showing how this destination can be incorporated into a package.

The post The Cats Of The Kruger National Park appeared first on Southern Africa 360.

Over the past two decades, the population of lions have declined by nearly 43%, with much of the decline being the caused by human expansion and shrinking habitats. In South Africa, the infamous canned hunting industry has also led to a rapid decrease in Lions. The practice of canned hunting involves breeding and rearing lions for the sole purpose of being shot for sport in their enclosures. It is greatly reviled in the region and many organisations are working to end the practice.

Today there about 3000 wild lions in the country which has obviously had a big impact on the local ecosystem. This has not gone unnoticed and in an effort to reintroduce lions into an ecosystem that they have historically occurred,  Samara is providing a sanctuary for some of them. 

Their vision is to restore the Great Karoo to its former ecological glory by reintroducing free-roaming lions into the region, who will assume their role as predators, which will keep the local herbivore populations in check and thus help protect the indigenous vegetation from overgrazing. The lions are set to arrive in August 2018 and Sarah Tompkins, the founder of Samara, is truly excited for the event, stating:

We are delighted to be bringing lions back to our region. Their reintroduction gives us the opportunity to study what happens when a top predator returns to an ecosystem. Besides that, we can’t wait to hear their roars echoing through our valleys.

For more information on this amazing undertaking visit the Samara Private Nature Reserve website

The post Lions Are Returning To Samara appeared first on Southern Africa 360.