Kruger National Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

🐆 Leopard Prowls Kruger’s Wild Savannah
🌍 #3 Global · 5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #2 in Africa #2 in Savanna & Grassland
Southern Africa, South Africa 1378 spp. recorded

Kruger National Park is a massive tropical savanna reserve situated in northeastern South Africa, featuring wide grasslands and scattered acacia trees. This protected region stands out for its high density of wildlife, thriving across warm plains and winding riverbanks.

-23.061° S   31.212° E

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant ★
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

50–60% · Likely
Lion ★
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely
Leopard ★
VU Endemic

Leopard

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera pardus

40–50% · Likely
White Rhinoceros ★

White Rhinoceros

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ceratotherium simum

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely
Blacksmith Lapwing
LC

Blacksmith Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus armatus

60–70% · Likely
Fork-tailed Drongo
LC

Fork-tailed Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely
Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

60–70% · Likely
Cape Turtle Dove
LC

Cape Turtle Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia capicola

50–60% · Likely
Grey Go-Away-Bird
LC

Grey Go-Away-Bird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythaixoides concolor

50–60% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

50–60% · Likely
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
LC

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tockus leucomelas

50–60% · Likely
Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-billed Oxpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

50–60% · Likely
Natal Francolin
LC

Natal Francolin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pternistis natalensis

50–60% · Likely
Southern Giraffe

Southern Giraffe

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Giraffa giraffa

50–60% · Likely
LADO

LADO

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia senegalensis

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant ★
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

50–60% · Likely
Lion ★
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely
Leopard ★
VU Endemic

Leopard

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera pardus

40–50% · Likely
White Rhinoceros ★

White Rhinoceros

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ceratotherium simum

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Southern Giraffe

Southern Giraffe

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Giraffa giraffa

50–60% · Likely
Spotted Hyena
LC

Spotted Hyena

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Crocuta crocuta

40–50% · Likely
Plains Zebra
NT Endemic

Plains Zebra

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Equus quagga

40–50% · Likely
Impala
LC

Impala

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Aepyceros melampus

40–50% · Likely
Common Hippopotamus
VU

Common Hippopotamus

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Hippopotamus amphibius

40–50% · Likely
African Buffalo
NT

African Buffalo

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Syncerus caffer

40–50% · Likely
Greater Kudu
LC

Greater Kudu

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

40–50% · Likely
Waterbuck
LC

Waterbuck

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

40–50% · Likely
Common Warthog
LC

Common Warthog

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Phacochoerus africanus

40–50% · Likely
Blue Wildebeest
LC

Blue Wildebeest

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Connochaetes taurinus

30–40% · Possible
Vervet Monkey
LC

Vervet Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

30–40% · Possible
Chacma Baboon
LC

Chacma Baboon

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Papio ursinus

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Egyptian Goose
LC

Egyptian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely
Blacksmith Lapwing
LC

Blacksmith Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus armatus

60–70% · Likely
Fork-tailed Drongo
LC

Fork-tailed Drongo

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely
Lilac-breasted Roller
LC

Lilac-breasted Roller

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coracias caudatus

60–70% · Likely
Cape Turtle Dove
LC

Cape Turtle Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Streptopelia capicola

50–60% · Likely
Grey Go-Away-Bird
LC

Grey Go-Away-Bird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corythaixoides concolor

50–60% · Likely
Common Bulbul
LC

Common Bulbul

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pycnonotus barbatus

50–60% · Likely
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
LC

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tockus leucomelas

50–60% · Likely
Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-billed Oxpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buphagus erythrorhynchus

50–60% · Likely
Natal Francolin
LC

Natal Francolin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pternistis natalensis

50–60% · Likely
LADO

LADO

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spilopelia senegalensis

50–60% · Likely
African Fish-Eagle
LC

African Fish-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus vocifer

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Crocodile
LC

Nile Crocodile

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Crocodylus niloticus

40–50% · Likely
Rainbow Skink

Rainbow Skink

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachylepis margaritifera

30–40% · Possible
Leopard Tortoise
LC

Leopard Tortoise

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Stigmochelys pardalis

30–40% · Possible
Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Serrated Hinged Terrapin

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Pelusios sinuatus

30–40% · Possible
Nile Monitor
LC

Nile Monitor

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Varanus niloticus

30–40% · Possible
African Striped Skink
LC

African Striped Skink

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachylepis striata

30–40% · Possible
Southern Tree Agama
LC

Southern Tree Agama

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Acanthocercus atricollis

20–30% · Possible
Flap-necked Chameleon
LC

Flap-necked Chameleon

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Chamaeleo dilepis

20–30% · Possible
Tropical House Gecko
LC

Tropical House Gecko

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Hemidactylus mabouia

20–30% · Possible
Cape Dwarf Gecko
LC

Cape Dwarf Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Lygodactylus capensis

20–30% · Possible
Rock Monitor
LC

Rock Monitor

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Varanus albigularis

20–30% · Possible
Common Giant Plated Lizard
LC

Common Giant Plated Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Matobosaurus validus

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
LC

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Chiromantis xerampelina

30–40% · Possible
Painted Reed Frog
LC

Painted Reed Frog

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Hyperolius marmoratus

10–20% · With luck
Garman's Toad
LC

Garman's Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Sclerophrys garmani

10–20% · With luck
Anchieta's Ridged Frog
LC

Anchieta's Ridged Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Ptychadena anchietae

10–20% · With luck
African Split-skin Toad
LC

African Split-skin Toad

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Schismaderma carens

10–20% · With luck
Red-Banded Rubber Frog
LC

Red-Banded Rubber Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

10–20% · With luck
Edible bullfrog
LC

Edible bullfrog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Pyxicephalus edulis

5–10% · With luck
Common Rain Frog
LC

Common Rain Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Breviceps adspersus

5–10% · With luck
Senegal Kassina
LC

Senegal Kassina

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Kassina senegalensis

5–10% · With luck
Shovel-nosed Frog
LC

Shovel-nosed Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Hemisus marmoratus

5–10% · With luck
Mozambique ridged frog
LC

Mozambique ridged frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Ptychadena mossambica

5–10% · With luck
Fenoulhet's Toad
LC

Fenoulhet's Toad

☀️ Diurnal Amphibian

Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti

5–10% · With luck

Animal Events

🦌

Great Migration of Elephants

AugSepOct

Large herds of African Bush Elephants gather around waterholes and rivers during the dry season, offering unparalleled viewing opportunities.

African Bush Elephant
EN

African Bush Elephant

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Loxodonta africana

50–60% · Likely
🦌

Lion Breeding Season

SepOct

Lion cubs are most visible during this period as prides are active and territorial behavior peaks, coinciding with optimal game viewing.

Lion
VU

Lion

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera leo

50–60% · Likely
🦌

Leopard and Hyena Courtship Displays

AugSep

Increased interactions between leopards and spotted hyenas, including territorial disputes and mating behaviors, are frequently observed near prey-rich areas.

Spotted Hyena
LC

Spotted Hyena

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Crocuta crocuta

40–50% · Likely
Leopard
VU Endemic

Leopard

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Panthera pardus

40–50% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
African Bush Elephant
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
Lion
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
Leopard
30–40
30–40
30–40
30–40
40–50
30–40
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
White Rhinoceros
20–30
20–30
20–30
30–40
20–30
30–40
30–40
30–40
30–40
30–40
20–30
20–30
Egyptian Goose
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
70–80
Blacksmith Lapwing
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
60–70
Fork-tailed Drongo
70–80
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
60–70
Lilac-breasted Roller
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
Cape Turtle Dove
70–80
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
40–50
60–70
60–70
60–70
Grey Go-Away-Bird
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
Common Bulbul
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
70–80
60–70
50–60
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
40–50
50–60
Red-billed Oxpecker
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
Natal Francolin
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
Southern Giraffe
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
LADO
60–70
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
30–40
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
Animal Events
🦌 Great Migration of Elephants
🦌 Lion Breeding Season
🦌 Leopard and Hyena Courtship Displays

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class
🐆 Leopard Prowls Kruger’s Wild Savannah

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
841
🐒 Mammals
252
🦎 Reptiles
221
🐸 Amphibians
64
1378 Total Species
850 Global average across 297 parks
63 Threatened 15 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
59%
📊
Coverage (302 species at ≥5% of 1378 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
22%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)
46% Global avg
37%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
207
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
43
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
44

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Kruger National Park?

The most likely sightings are Egyptian Goose (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Blacksmith Lapwing (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Fork-tailed Drongo (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Lilac-breasted Roller (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), African Bush Elephant (seen by 50–60% of wildlife watchers) — among 1378 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Kruger National Park for wildlife?

October has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see African Bush Elephant in Kruger National Park?

Yes — about 59% of wildlife watchers report a African Bush Elephant sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 2,013 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Lion in Kruger National Park?

Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Lion sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 1,377 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Leopard in Kruger National Park?

Yes — about 42% of wildlife watchers report a Leopard sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 971 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see White Rhinoceros in Kruger National Park?

Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White Rhinoceros sighting in Kruger National Park, based on 543 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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