Kruger National Park - South Africa's Crown Jewel

South African National Parks (SANParks- www.parks-sa.co.za), which manages the 20 national parks spread throughout the country, has Kruger as its flagship. It is South Africa's oldest and most popular park- receiving one million visitors annually.

The Kruger has its origins in the Sabi Reserve, which was set up in 1898 to stem the effects of over hunting. After various extensions and expropriations from the baPhalaborwa people, the current boundaries were established by 1926. The park was named after Paul Kruger, once president of the Transvaal Republic that later became part of the Union of South Africa. Bushman rock paintings and the archaeological sites at Masorini and Thulamela attest to the regions ancient connections.

The Park stretches from the Crocodile River in the south, to the Limpopo River in the north and runs for 350 km along the Mozambiquì

The Southern part, which is located in the Mpumalanga region, is more lush and wooded. This area is very popular with visitors and is accessed though the five gates at Malelane, Crocodile Bridge, Numbi, Phabeni and Paul Kruger. The northern and central sections are more arid and fall in the Limpopo region. Fewer visitors come here; giving rise to an air of mystery that beckons the adventurous. You get there via the Orpen and Phalaborwa gates.

The park is fed by six rivers and has a wide variety of ecosystems; it carries 16 vegetation zones. The park is generally flat with an average height of 269 metres above sea level. North of the Oliphants River, it is hot and arid and dominated by the mopane tree. This tree is very well adapted and is popular with antelopes and elephants due to its aromatic leaves.

South of the Oliphants River, the earth is more fertile and the rains more generous. Here, grass is abundant, attracting a high population of grazers such as the zebra, gazelle, giraffe, buffalo. Between the Sabie and Crocodile Rivers, there are a large variety of trees, acacia inclusive. Along the park's northern boundary, you find tropical riverine forest, consisting of huge wild fig, mahogany, ironwood and baobab.

Baobab trees are abundant and sit very well against the backdrop of the African sunset. According to local legend, the creator entrusted the baboon with baobab seeds to plant. But the baboon stupidly planted the seeds upside down. And that is why baobab trees appear to have roots in the air! Kruger's elephants adore baobabs.

Kruger is celebrated for the wide variety of game and bird life in its numerous habitats. Hundreds of different species can be found here: 507 birds, 336 trees, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 49 fish and 34 amphibians. It offers an unforgettable wildlife experience that can rival the best in Africa. In South Africa, this is the best place to see the fabled big five- lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino. Other animals to see include cheetah, zebra, giraffe, baboon, hippo, impala, and warthog. The prolific mix of animals, including the presence of complete food chains, attracts scientists researching animal interaction.

The elephants of Kruger present a recurrent challenge to the managers of the park. At the turn of the last century, the hunters' rifle had brought down the elephant population to 50. With the establishment of the park as a protected area, numbers recovered and control was imposed through periodic culling. In 1994 however, a 10-year ban on culling was imposed. At the time numbers stood at 7,000, but had doubled to 14,000 by 2005.

The problem is that elephant's tuck in about 170 kg of vegetation daily and are notorious for felling trees. They place great pressure on the park's ecology and water supply. Scientists estimate the sustainable capacity of Kruger does not exceed 7,000 tuskers. The government in 2005 announced plans to review the culling ban. Under the plan, between 7,000 and 10,000 elephants would be put down.

Animal rights activists worldwide were horrified. But Dr Ian Whyte, Kruger Park's senior elephant scientist, countered: "Elephants have big appetites. You can utilise an area to maintain biodiversity, or else you have a purely elephant sanctuary. You can't have both."

The Kruger is part of a far-sighted initiative to create cross border parks in southern Africa. Together with Parque Nacional do Limpopo in Mozambique and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park, it forms the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Fences between the three parks have been brought down, creating a mega wilderness of 33,000 sq km that is now the world's largest wildlife conservation area. Kruger is an excellent staging post for checking out the goings on in the other two parks.

Kruger offers a good birding experience in great surroundings. Watch out for hooded vultures, African spoonbill, brown- hooded kingfisher and the helmeted kingfisher. But Kruger's "big six" for birders are: Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard, Lappet- faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pel's Fishing Owl and Saddle-bill Stork. In your time off from game activities, you can play some golf at the nine-hole Skukuza course, amidst grazing impala and other resident wildlife.

Once you are in Kruger, it is obligatory to take a game drive. You may chose either a self-navigated game drive, or take a ranger guide as an escort. Kruger allows night game drives, when you can encounter nocturnal animals- bushbabies, leopards, hyenas, owls and nightjars.

Most visitors take game drives aboard a vehicle on regular trails. But ranger guided walking safaris are available to more adventurous spirits. On any of the seven guided wilderness trails for walkers, you take in nature's aromas as you view game up close. The trails include three nights stay in a wilderness camp. This option is quite popular and early booking is advised.

In addition, Kruger offers five motorized trails for 4X4 adventure. In the Olifants Camp area, there are mountain bike trails, suitable for half day and full day outing.

Those keen on astronomy will be delighted to view stars, planets and other heavenly bodies through a large telescope set up at Olifants Camp. At hand will be a "Sky Ranger" to talk about the skies of the southern hemisphere and the African lone star. Stargazing can be combined with a night game drive, where you may find some at of the predators at their favourite night shift activity.

Most visitors to Kruger come on self-drive basis. Due to the ease of access and the excellent tar and gravel road network within the park, you will come across families ensconced in Mercedes sedans. The park can be reached by road or air and is accessed through many various gates depending on the section of interest. The distance from Johannesburg to each gate ranges from 400-600 km.

Daily flights operate from Johannesburg to Phalaborwa Airport, Hoedspruit Airport and the Kruger/Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA). There are also daily flights to KMIA from Durban and Cape Town. Charter planes and rental cars are available from Kruger Mpumalanga Airport, Kruger Park Gateway airport, East Gate Airport.

Kruger is the showpiece for South Africa's advanced and highly successful wildlife conservation and management practices. The only blot is hunting- that arrogant practice of killing animals for sport. Hunters pay a price for the privilege of killing all sorts of wild game- baboons, giraffes, mongooses, porcupines, warthogs and zebras, elephants and hippos. The bloody sport is not allowed in Kruger itself, but thrives at a number of private game reserves nearby. In 2004, an estimated 6,700 tourists were granted licenses to kill almost 54,000 animals.

But thank God- "canned hunting - a practice even most hunters find despicable - looks set to be banned soon. It involves shooting a lion or other wild animal that has been cornered in a large enclosure. The "hunter" thereafter poses with his trophies in the style of the big game hunters of early the last century. The prospect of winning of this battle has greatly encouraged animal lovers in their belief that the war of obtaining a ban on hunting itself may yet be won.

Accommodation is available within the park to suit the tastes and pockets of most- ranging from camping and self-catering to luxury lodges. SANParks runs twelve main restcamps, five bushveld camps and two bush lodges. Here you find, shops, fuel stations, picnic sites, restaurants and even swimming pools in some of the camps.

In addition, there are also a number of privately run luxury camps and lodges within Kruger, following SANParks decision in 2000 to award concessions to private operators. Due to the huge popularity of Kruger, getting accommodation- particularly over school holidays- can be difficult and advance booking is advised. Most locals arrange self-drive tours to Kruger. But internationals prefer a Kruger safari package that will bundle in transport, accommodation, conservation fees and such other services and probably visits to attractions outside the park.

Kruger summers come hot and rainy, and run from October to March. This is good for vegetation in the park, which becomes lush and green but bad for spotting animals. The best time to visit the park will be in the winter months - between April and September. It is then warm and dry; vegetation is sparse and water restricted to rivers and water holes, where the animals are forced to congregate.

You are advised to dress in cool clothing - light cottons and linen- for summer and warm for winter. Remember to carry a pair of binoculars to help you spot animals. Also pack mosquito repellant creams, notebooks and cameras to record the wonders that await you. Be aware that Kruger is a malarial zone and you are advised to take appropriate measures.

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