South African Nature Reserves and Game Parks

The visit to the Pretoria Zoo showed me a great interest in such unique animals. I saw many beautiful animals, including the Bengal Tiger.

The animals are not neglected and are well taken care of by the handlers, and helpers.

Addo Elephant National Park

Situated in Eastern Cape

The park has one hundred elephants of the same species as of the African elephant, and are more reddish in colour, the females rarely having tusks: also, fifty mammal species, including the Balk rhino.

Etosha National Park

The National Park is situated in Northern Namibia, a vast saline desert plain surrounded by open grassland with belts of deciduous trees and bushes. Where a wide variety of mammals and birds gather around water holes in large numbers.

There is the elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, black rhinoceros, giraffe, Gemsbok, springbok, eland, blue wildebeest, kudu, the Burchell's zebra, and the rare black-faced impala.

Three hundred and twenty bird species, ranging from ostrich to the sun-bird.

Chobe National Park

In Northern Botswana, predominantly the domain of large herds of elephant and buffalo; also, lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, warthog, white rhinoceros, giraffe, hippopotamus, crocodile and over three hundred and fifty species of bird species.

Golden Gate Highlands National Park

A Park in Free State

Mainly a scenic park, with hiking trails through the foothills, and spectacular orange-yellow sandstone cliffs of the Maluti mountains; black wildebeest, eland, red hartebeest, blesbok and Burchells' zebra; bird life, including the black eagle and bearded vulture.

Hwange National Park

Park, situated in Zimbabwe and contains the widest variety and greatest density of wildlife in the world with up to twenty-six thousand elephants in winter, black and white rhinoceros and twenty-five predator species this including lion, leopard, and spotted hyena.

Sixteen antelope species; and more than four hundred bird species.

Kalahari Gemsbok National Park

In the Northern Cape

The large nomadic antelope herds include the eland, Gemsbok, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest and springbok, lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal, and hyena also two hundred and fifteen bird species.

Kruger National Park

The Kruger National Park is situated in Mpumalanga and Northern Province.

One of the world's largest national parks, covering at least nineteen thousand four hundred and fifty-five kilometres.

A stretch of three hundred and fifty kilometres with an average width of sixty kilometres. There are several major rivers which flow across it.

There are five main botanical divisions, with the environment and natural foods of each division determining the variety of wildlife within it.

Home to one hundred and thirty-eight mammal species or more, including elephant, lion rhinoceros, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, hyena, and a wide variety of antelope, and one hundred and fifteen reptile species.

There are four hundred and eighty bird species, water birds, owls, Raptors, Louries, cuckoos, parrots, and horn-hills. Also, two hundred tree species.

Manitoba National Park

A Park in Zimbabwe, an area of scenic beauty and unique flora in the Manitoba Hills. It has the world's greatest concentration of rock art and is among three hundred bird species.

The world's largest number and variety of Raptors include more than thirty per cent of the world's eagle species, as well as rhino and southern Africa's largest number of leopards.

Mountain Zebra National Park

Situated in Eastern Cape

Here are some of the last remaining protected concentrations of Cape mountain zebra, numbering about two hundred, also eland, Hartebeest, Wildebeest, Blesbok, springbok, and mountain Reedbuck.

There are two hundred bird species, including a martial, black, and booted eagle, blue crane, and the pale-winged starling.

Royal Natal National Park

KwaZulu-Natal

A scenic park in the Drakensberg Mountains with an extensive network of footpaths climbs and horse trails and trout also fishing a variety of buck and two hundred bird species.

Tsitsikamma Forest National Park

Situated in the Eastern Cape

A coastal park of indigenous forest and fynbos, with cliffs falling to the sea, and deep, narrow valleys cut by rivers flowing from the Tsitsikamma mountains.

There are Bushbuck, duiker, baboon, vervet monkey, mongoose, and otter together with two hundred and eighty bird species also twenty-five seabird species.

The nature reserves are a spectacular experience only if you choose to let your hair down and enjoy the scenic views and wildlife.

It is not safe to be without a tourist guide.

Someone who knows where to walk freely and who will be of help to you, if ever in danger.

A few years ago, my friend and I went to the Lion's Park about thirty kilometres away from my hometown and we remained in the car.

That was our safest and best decision. While caught up in the conversation we did not realize the Park had already been closed.

On that note we drove out quickly, hoping the guard would still be around we were lucky he was at the gate he must have noticed our still inside and waited for us.

The Lions were sitting around not far off from our car that was our lucky moment to get out as fast as we could have.

My life in South Africa has been a happy one and while on my visit to the many destinations I enjoyed the new experiences and seeing more of my country.

The wildlife is such a thrill for many people from around, locally from many different places.

I plan to visit Kruger National Park on my next visit.

Queen Elizabeth Park was my last travel destination.

I visited Queen Elizabeth Park with friends also close to where I previously lived.

A small nature reserve and is situated on the northern slopes of Pietermaritzburg. Impalas, zebra, blesbok, bushbuck, grey and blue duiker, the rock Hyrax, and also the crowned eagle are homed in this park.

I enjoyed the short visits to the small educational environment. It shows me how much more I need to explore and would like to learn more about all reserves.

What interests you most about wildlife?

Africa has a variety of bird spec ices and animal species.

To enjoy visiting the main National parks or reserves does not get close to any animal always try to look from afar.

Avoid feeding animals usually, that is how animals become aggressive toward people. Do not tease the animals and avoid touching them animals.

I have seen ostriches up close but was a bit scared.

My closest encounter with all animal species was during my visit to the Pretoria zoo and had a wonderful time with my family.

Always stand away from the fence something can trigger the animal to attack you.

They are sensitive and are better left alone.

I have noticed a person trying to pat chimpanzees that is not a good idea they can become very active and not always friendly. I prefer observing such animals without touching or feeding them.

Wildlife can be fascinating to many individuals. It requires time and patience to walk through reserves with comfortable shoes you can do so with ease.

The Safari life has improved, and wildlife adventures can be more enjoyable if you put your mind to it. Travel with a trustworthy vehicle to avoid accidents with lions or tigers.

Cheetahs and leopards are very quick to attack and are territorial, so be careful when going on such adventures.

When trying to capture your perfect photo do so with patience because even the click of your camera can disturb the peaceful animal environment.

Be quiet when around wildlife, elephants can also become angry, try not to get too close this can spoil your best moment.