Kruger National Park

Kruger National Park Wildlife

What are the Big 5 in Africa?

The Big 5 wildlife refers to the Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Elephant and Buffalo. These are often the most in-demand animals to see while on an African safari.

By 1896 white rhino were extinct in the Lowveld, while elsewhere a relic 50 animals survived between the White and Black Umfolozi rivers in Zululand. Successful conservation measures made it possible to re-introduce 337 rhino from 1961 onwards, and the Kruger Park now safeguards the world's largest population.

White rhino require a reliable supply of water, both for drinking (every two to three days). In Kruger National Park, 85 per cent of the white rhino population occurs in the Southern Region, where rainfall is higher than average and water holes are evenly distributed. Their senses of smell and hearing are good, but their eyesight is poor.

A white rhino bull marks his territory by spray-urinating along its boundaries. Only territorial males do this; subordinate males are allowed to live within the territory so long as they remain submissive. Females are free to wander across the territories of several males.

White rhino coat their hides in mud to reduce bites from irritating flies, and during the hot summer months mud wallows help to regulate body temperature.

With a considerable body mass of up to 2 300 kilograms, and a vast surface area that is increased by folds of skin, white rhino can remove large quantities of mud from a wallow with each visit. Over the decades this has the effect of excavating significant depressions in the veld, which are rapidly filled during the rainy season to form pans.

An elephant drinks from a pool in the Mphongolo River that still holds water during winter months. An elephant can draw 17 litres of water at a time. During winter, elephant are usually concentrated within six kilometres of water and drink on average every two days, consuming between 180 and 400 litres per visit.Two young elephants play on the soft, cool sandy bed of the Mphongolo River. Elephants live in well-ordered family groups that are usually led by the oldest female, the matriarch. In addition to the matriarch, the group consists of her older female calves, related females and their offspring. Males leave the herd from the age of 12 years.The elephant with its dexterous trunk, which is composed of 50 000 muscles, is able to carefully select leaves from among the thorny branches of a thicket of Delagoa thorns (Acacia delagoensis).

Young buffalo depend on the structure of the herd for protection. Buffalo are almost exclusively grazers, and half the Kruger population occurs on the open savannas of the Central Region.

These bovids consume large quantities of grass of a moderate quality, and in doing so play a valuable role in the ecosystem by reducing tall grasslands and opening up areas for the antelope that feed only on short grasses.

As an adult can weigh more than 750 kilograms, buffalo comprise a quarter of Kruger's total biomass, or live weight of animals. Although lion working together can overpower an adult bull, the availability of sufficient grass is the most important limiting factor on herd size.

Unlike most antelope species, male buffalo voluntarily leave the breeding herd and rejoin at a later stage. A herd does not occupy a fixed territory, and its favoured home range includes certain areas that are utilised during winter, and an expanded range that is used during summer.

Typically, old bulls eventually become permanently separated from the herd to live a solitary existence, or form small bachelor groups.

In winter, buffalo in Kruger National Park concentrate within eight kilometres of permanent water, especially along the Sabie, Olifants, Letaba and Shingwedzi rivers, and the sight of a herd of several hundred buffalo raising clouds of red dust as they trek to water is one of the most memorable that the Park can offer.A dominant buffalo bull asserts his position by holding his head high while pointing his nose towards the ground. Head-tossing and a hooking motion of the horns are also used. If this fails, the bull will batter his solid horn boss against that of his rival until he gives in.Under favourable conditions, when game concentrates around water holes and there is a steady supply of prey, a lioness can give birth to a litter of one to five cubs every two years. Within a pride most cubs are born at the same time, mostly between February and April when young prey animals are abundant.Since the establishment of the Park in 1898, lion have increased proportionately to a significant increase in their prey species. In the 1920s Stevenson-Hamilton counted 600 lion in the Park. Today, Kruger supports about 2 000, representing one of the largest populations in Africa.The mane of a dominant pride lion protects the head and neck from injury and deters rival males by making the lion appear more formidable. In East Africa the Maasai people have copied this mask, and warriors wear feathered headdresses to appear taller and more menacing.Lion keep a close watch on descending vultures in the hope of locating a potential meal. Lion are opportunistic predators that will also scavenge food from other predators, and in this instance were able to locate the vultures and the remains of a kill in less than 20 minutes.Although lion spend much of the day resting, a charging lion dispels any doubts about their strength, speed and agility. Most chases are short and do not exceed 200 metres, but a lion can attain a speed of 60 kilometres an hour in a final burst of speed before bringing down prey.Play activities within the safety of the pride prepare lion cubs for hunting success in adulthood. Young cubs display a pattern of brown spots and rosettes that is similar to the patterning on the coat of leopard, and may be useful as camouflage.A large male leopard can weigh as much as 70 kilograms, but females are much lighter at about 30 kilograms. Impala comprise 78 per cent of the leopard's diet in Kruger. An adult leopard requires prey equivalent to about 20 impala per year, so leopard predation is not a major limiting factor on impala numbers.As leopard are primarily nocturnal and active when lion and hyaena are about, these powerful cats have to face strong competition. In the Kruger Park they prey mainly on impala and aggressively defend their kills against rival predators. Essentially ground dwelling, leopard readily climb trees to escape from danger and to store their kills safely out of the reach of other predators.Long believed to be very scarce, in the 1970s an American researcher captured a surprising number of leopard within a few kilometres of Skukuza, and the estimate of the total number in the Park was revised to about 1 000. The number is believed to have remained relatively unchanged up to the present. This is because - barring major habitat changes and human interference - leopard populations tend to remain stable, kept in balance by the availability of prey species and the corresponding size of each leopard's territory.

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The Kruger National Park is home to many different species of antelopes, from Eland to small antelope such as Duiker and Steenbok. Impala are the most common antelope in the park with Kudu being the second most common. If you are lucky, you may see rare antelope such as Sable and Eland which are revered in many African cultures.

During the rut, which takes place between April and June, adult impala males establish territories, which they defend by chasing away rival males. 

Guttural roars followed by protracted snorts can be heard throughout the day and night, as the dominant male defends his territory against intrusions by neighbouring males. If territorial displays are not effective in fending off rivals, the males resort to horn-clashing duels to determine dominance.

A herd of impala approaches water. For impala, gathering together in a herd has many advantages: many pairs of eyes and ears are constantly alert to danger, and the chances of being caught by a predator are greatly reduced. In the Kruger Park there are approximately 10 000 impala herds with an average herd size of 11 animals.

Impala gather at a water hole in acacia country near Lower Sabie. They have a marked preference for areas where there is a regular supply of water, short grass and dense thickets of shrubs and trees.

These conditions are normally encountered near rivers where a concentration of larger animals, such as elephant and buffalo, further improves the habitat for impala. Impala are prolific breeders and are the most abundant mammal in Kruger, but these medium-sized antelope drink less than one quarter of the water consumed by the Elephants in Kruger National Park.

Kudu are nonselective browsers and feed on no less than 150 species of trees and shrubs. They avoid trees with a high tannin content in their leaves, and favour acacia and combretum species. 

Although they prefer the same trees that are sought after by giraffe, competition between the two species is minimised by feeding at different heights. This beautiful large antelope is the most widely distributed of 20 antelope species in Kruger Park, but is most common in the Central Region where its favourite food plants are found in abundance.

Although Kudu drink when water is available, in times of drought they are more susceptible to a lack of adequate browse than they are to a lack of drinking water. The female weighs about 160 kilograms, but males are much larger and weigh on average 250 kilograms.

 

A kudu bull displays the longest horns of all the antelope that occur in Kruger. At the age of nine months a male kudu sports two short horns, which begin to grow and curve with age to form the corkscrew shape typical of mature bulls.

The record length of 181 centimetres is more than twice that recorded for a close relative, the nyala. There have been several observations of jousting kudu bulls interlocking their spiral horns and being unable to disengage. Unable to disentangle their horns or flee, the helpless contestants soon fall prey to predators.

Herds of female waterbuck and their young occupy a home range that coincides with the territories of several males.

Relative to their small population size, more waterbuck are killed by Lion than any other antelope in Kruger, and 60 to 80 per cent of deaths can be attributed to these predators. Waterbuck are uncommon throughout their range in South Africa and currently number a modest 1 400 in Kruger. They favour open woodland near water.Of the 77 species of African antelope, only the waterbuck has a distinctive white ring around the rump. Grasses of a high nutritional quality and a regular supply of water are both essential habitat requirements for these animals. Cattle egrets, the only members of their family that are not closely dependent on water, feed on grasshoppers and other insects disturbed by large antelope.

The regal sable, arguably the most beautiful antelope in the Park, has specific habitat requirements that include tall grassland and open woodland.

An increase in zebra herds and prolonged drought has caused a considerable decline in sable in recent years. Blue wildebeest favour short grasses and need to drink less than other grazers such as zebra and buffalo. Although wildebeest are dependent on water, the severe drought of 1992/93 had little effect on their population, currently estimated at about 13 000.

A blue wildebeest bull maintains his dominance by means of ritual displays intended to intimidate any intruder. When another bull approaches, the territorial bull's rocking-horse gait and swishing tail are meant to dissuade his competitor.If this display fails, the bull drops to his knees and engages in horn-clashing sparring (opposite below). No injuries result from these contests as the impact is absorbed by the bull's solid horn bosses. One of the bulls eventually surrenders and is chased off the territory by the victor. Males are territorial and even where herds migrate over long distances, temporary territories are established.In the Kruger Park bushbuck are associated with dense riverine bush, and the road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie offers the best sightings. They are solitary antelope and occupy home ranges that often overlap. Unlike most antelope species, bushbuck are exceptionally tolerant of each other and territorial displays are a rare phenomenon.The smallest of the antelope most commonly seen in Kruger, steenbok show a marked preference for the open plains in the eastern region of the Park, formed on volcanic basalt. There is some sexual dimorphism, with only male steenbok having horns, and the females being slightly larger than the males.A nyala male displays the stripes and horn shape typical of this antelope family. Nyala occur mainly north of the Letaba River, especially along the Shingwedzi and Luvuvhu rivers. Only males have horns. Females are a reddish ochre in colour and can be confused with young kudu.The roan antelope is classified as an endangered species in South Africa. Following the harsh drought of 1992/93, roan antelope nearly became extinct in the Park, and the population fell from 452 in 1986 to 44. Kruger mostly contains habitats that are marginal to their requirements, as roan survive better on wetter savannas. They occur only in open woodland with a well-developed cover of tall grass.

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Many animals, especially predators like the small spotted genet and even antelope such as bushbuck and grey duiker, are active mainly at night and depend on their keen senses of smell and hearing to locate food.

A tree felled by an elephant provides a perfect vantage point for two cheetah males searching for suitable prey. Although they are ill-equipped for climbing, cheetah will climb trees with sloping trunks to survey the surroundings. Male cheetah, usually brothers, form co-operative associations that may last for years.A female cheetah rests after successfully catching and feeding on an impala, this cat's principal prey in Kruger. Cheetah hunt mostly in the early morning or late afternoon, but will also hunt at night when the moon is full. After bringing down an impala, cheetah feed quickly while keeping constant watch for rival predators, and even the arrival of vultures will dislodge them from a kill.Cheetah are usually solitary, but family parties of a mother and two subadult cubs are common. The cubs are always from the same litter, and leave the mother when about 18 months old and before the next litter is born. Cheetah occupy large home ranges and, despite an abundance of their favourite prey, in no region of the Park does their density exceed one cheetah to every 45 square kilometres.A cheetah and her two young cubs near Duke water hole south of Lower Sabie. Mother cheetah give birth in tall grass or dense cover. The cubs are carefully hidden for the first few weeks, and the mother moves them frequently to new hiding places to avoid detection by other predators. While the cubs are small, the mother is vulnerable as she has to remain and hunt within a confined area, and is thus less able to avoid attacks from lion.Members of a wild dog pack spare no time in devouring an impala that they have just caught. Aware of hyaena howling nearby, these dogs consumed their kill in under three minutes, and by the time the hyaena arrived on the scene there was no sign of the kill. Competition from other predators, and direct attacks by lion on both adults and cubs, reduces wild dog numbers even within optimum habitat.A complex social arrangement governs wild dog and they are able to live in large packs with few signs of conflict. Wild dog travel over vast distances, but are sedentary for a three month period when the pups are raised in an underground den. Some adult members of the pack leave the den site daily in search of prey. Here, the 'baby-sitters' encourage a returning hunter to regurgitate food, which is done for both the pups and their minders.The Kruger Park is a stronghold for the endangered wild dog, although nowhere can it be considered common. Researchers have identified 27 packs with an estimated total population of 360 for the entire park. Wild dog have a highly developed social system and produce large numbers of pups, but remain rare even in areas where their favoured prey animals are abundant.While diseases and lion predation are major limiting factors, research has shown that there is a lack of genetic variability in the Kruger population and this may have resulted in inbreeding.A wild dog pup displays some of the distinct markings that make it possible to identify individuals. Only one female usually breeds in a pack, but litters of up to 21 pups have been recorded. The pups are raised in an old aardvark or warthog burrow in a termite mound, and are carefully cared for by adults in the pack.Wild dog pups are born after a gestation period of about 70 days, and are suckled by the dominant female for three months, either in the den or near its entrance. Other adult members of the pack take an active part in cleaning the pups, and will return strays to the den. The pups begin to beg for meat from the age of 14 days, and when old enough are led by the adult dogs in search of prey.Juvenile wild dogs playfully interact at a den site south of Lower Sabie. Fighting among pack members is rare, and a relaxed tail indicates a dog's playful mood. The pups are boisterous, and the mother disciplines them by holding them down on the ground by their necks.The spotted hyaena's powerful jaws can crush bones and slice through thick hides, useful for a scavenger that often feeds on a carcass that has had the tender meat removed by lion. The hyaena's skull is shaped to accommodate the strong muscles that operate the lower jaw.A young spotted hyaena rests at a roadside den. Hyaena are largely nocturnal, and form clans dominated by females. Dominant females always feed first at a carcass and return to the den to suckle their pups, which rely on their mother's milk for the first nine months. A hierarchy also exists amongst males, but the highest ranked male is considered inferior to the lowest ranked female.Hyaena have learned to use the culverts under the main roads in Kruger as dens to raise their young. During the heat of the day, especially in summer, these concrete tunnels can become exceptionally hot and the cubs may emerge to rest near the entrance.Interesting comparisons have been drawn between the numbers of predators in Kruger and the hoofed animals on which they prey. In the Central Region, the ratio of lion to prey is 1:110, which is exceptionally high when compared to 1:1 000 in Tanzania's Serengeti. Lion in Kruger sometimes change their prey preferences during wet and dry cycles.During wet cycles it is easier to stalk and catch zebra and wildebeest, while in times of drought they tend to kill more buffalo, often animals that would anyway have perished from lack of food. Most predators are small in comparison to the mass of their prey. In Kruger, the combined biomass of the major predators is equal to just one per cent of their prey species. This is because between each feeding level in the food chain there is substantial loss of energy, so a 60-kilogram hyaena is dependent on 6 000 kilograms of hoofed animals, equivalent to a herd of 105 impala. The fate of all predators is therefore intricately interwoven with that of their prey.Young hyaena often rest outside their roadside dens. Hyaena clans are dominated by females, and a female pup inherits her mother's social status. Litters consist of one or two cubs, and if two females are born then one will invariably kill the other.A large Nile crocodile emerges from the water to feed on a hippo calf that had died in Sunset Dam. Crocodiles prefer fresh food, however, and catfish form the major portion of their diet. They perform an important ecological function in keeping the numbers of these hardy fish in check. During periods of above-average rainfall, crocodiles colonise dams up to 45 kilometres from perennial rivers.The black-backed jackal is a scavenger that is often seen on the fringes of a lion or cheetah kill, where it will wait for the opportunity to steal a morsel. An unusual behaviour pattern that has been observed is their tendency to follow larger predators, especially leopard, while emitting a repetitive yapping call that alerts other jackal to the possibility of a kill.A serval listens attentively for rodents scurrying through the dense grassland of a vlei near Orpen Dam. Serval prey mainly on rodents, especially vlei rats, and show a marked preference for tall grassland habitat situated near water.Many animals, especially predators like the small spotted genet and even antelope such as bushbuck and grey duiker, are active mainly at night and depend on their keen senses of smell and hearing to locate food.

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There is more action at night in Kruger than during the day. Hunters take advantage of the cover of darkness to stalk their prey, while grazers and browsers often feed actively at night because they experience less energy loss than during the day.

Above: Terminalia at Dawn

Late Afternoon

Lions become restless; mothers play with cubs; pride energy levels rise in preparation for the night hunt; hyaenas emerge from their lairs; leopard get up from their day's rest; cheetah often hunt; wild dogs very active; impala move to the most open terrain around them; warthogs head for their burrows; baboons go to their roosts for the night; zebras seek a sleeping spot with minimal risk of ambush; rhinos become more active.

Evening

Lion and leopards begin hunting; hyaena hunt or scavenge; caracal are at their most active; cheetah settle down for the night; hippos emerge from rivers, often walking several kilometres away from water to graze, giraffe settle down to ruminate; impala rest as far from thick bush as possible; many antelope continue feeding; zebras settle down to sleep with one staying awake to watch out for predators; elephants browse; genets and civets do most of their hunting before midnight.

Late Night

Lion and hyaena hunt; cheetah and wild dogs usually asleep; impala get up for a late-night feed; bushbabies very noisy, zebra sleep; elephant often sleep at this time, sometimes standing up; lots of animals often feed, including buffalo, wildebeest and kudu.

Pre-Dawn

Lions often seen drinking at water holes or feeding on a kill; hyaena scavenge; prime hunting time for wild dog; cheetah - the most diurnal of the cats - get up to hunt; active time for serval which are also diurnal; impala rest.

Daybreak

Lions feed on the night's kill; hyaenas return to their dens; leopard often active for the first few hours of daylight before finding a good branch to rest on; impala feel safe enough to move back into wooded areas; hippos return to rivers to socialise and digest the night's food; cheetah hunt before the day's heat sets in; baboons wake up late.

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The Cheetah's body is built for speed. It's legs are relatively long compared to its greyhound-like body; it has a big heart and lungs and wide nasal passages. It is the fastest land animal, timed running at speeds of up to 114km/h.

While the lion and the leopard rely on getting close to their intended prey before breaking cover, the cheetah's speed gives it an advantage in the more open savanna. Cheetahs are slightly taller than leopards but not as bulky, probably weighing between 40kg and 60kg.

Can Cheetahs climb trees?
Although cheetahs are members of the cat family, they have dog-like non-retractable claws. This limits cheetahs tree-climbing ability but gives them a speed advantage when charging.

Typically, a cheetah will start a charge 60m to 100m from an antelope and, within seconds, will be racing at full tilt. If the buck is alerted in time, it will attempt to throw the cheetah off its trail by zigzagging and dodging between trees and shrubs. Using its long, heavy tail as a stabiliser, the cheetah will single-mindedly pursue its intended prey, trying to anticipate which way it will turn.

How do Cheetahs kill their prey?
At the right moment, the cheetah will knock the antelope off balance and grab it by the throat as it falls. Because of the relatively small jaws and teeth, cheetahs are not as effective in killing their prey as quickly as lions or leopards, and it can take between five and 25 minutes for its prey to die.

The element of surprise in hunting is as important for cheetahs as it is for other big predators. While its speed gives it an edge, the cheetah's vulnerable point is its stamina. It will manage to run at top speed for only about 250m before it needs to catch its breath.

After a high-speed chase, the cheetah desperately needs to rest for about half-an-hour - even before it eats its prey. This is when cheetahs are at their most vulnerable. They are often robbed of their kill by lions or hyaenas during this recovery spell. If the cheetah is unmolested, it normally devours its prey at the kill site.

What do Cheetahs eat?
A cheetah's food tastes are not as broad as that of the leopard, and it concentrates mostly on small and medium antelope. The cheetah's diet, comprises of the young of larger animals, as well as warthog, ground birds, porcupines and hares, as well as the smaller antelope.

The cheetah's kill rate is hard to determine, but the consensus is that each cheetah kills between 30 and 150 animals a year, depending on its size, hunting frequency and the condition of the area. Experts believe a single cheetah ideally needs between one and three kilograms of meat a day to stay in shape.

There has been some scientific discussion as to whether they should be classified as part of the dog family because of their non-retractable claws, but they exhibit too many cat-like features, including the ability to purr loudly. Cheetahs cannot roar but can growl and spit like a cat and sometimes they make a peculiar chirping noise.

Unlike lions and leopards, cheetah don't define a territory to defend. They have a home range which they mark with urine, but will not actively fight off other cheetahs. Socially, cheetahs are somewhere on the scale between lions and leopards.

They do not form prides as lions do but small groups of between four and six cheetahs can be common, particularly groupings of brothers. Cheetah probably live for between 12 and 15 years in the wild. Unlike most other major carnivores, they hunt during the day.

Are Cheetahs dangerous? Can a Cheetah kill a human?
Cheetahs are the most timid of the big cats and there is no record in southern Africa of a cheetah ever having attacked a human.

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The hyena is a shaggy, untidy and opportunistic carnivore with a distinctive, sloping back. It is a member of the dog family, weighing around 60kg (males can be heavier) and standing at about 80cm at the shoulder.

Almost all hyenas in Kruger are the spotted hyaena. They are found throughout Kruger and the best places to see them are south-west Okavango, Savuti and Linyanti. The brown hyaena found in southern Africa's more arid environments.

What do Hyenas do at night?
The spotted hyaena hunts and scavenges by night and is closely connected in African folklore with the supernatural world. Anyone who has heard the sound of hyaenas in full cry around midnight would understand the animal's association with the dark arts.

As a general rule, hyenas hunt more when they are the dominant carnivores in any particular habitat and tend towards scavenging when there are lots of other predators around. They are chancers of note, often taking great risks to snatch meat away from lions, and often being mauled to death in the process.

Unlike the honest, authoritarian roar of the lion which resonates with purity and strength, the "laughing" hyena's utterances are hysterical and mocking, an eerie human-like giggling shriek that would not be out of place in a mental asylum. It's body parts command a premium price on the local muthi market, particularly the tail, ears, whiskers, lips and genitals.

How do Hyenas hunt?
Although hyenas sometimes hunt alone, they mostly hunt in packs. They have an almost uncanny ability to seek out the most vulnerable animal in a herd and isolate it from the others. Hyaenas are designed for the long haul and, as Kruger mammal expert Heike Schutze says, "they are high-stamina hunters relentless in the pursuit of their prey once they have tasted blood".

Hyenas are mostly social, living in clans of between 10 and 40 animals, led by a dominant female. Social structures can be quite loose, however, with clan members shifting allegiances, breaking up and reforming. They are territorial, marking their hunting ground through communal defecation.

Their territories vary in size depending on the amount of prey in the vicinity as well as the number of competing clans. The territory itself is not vigorously defended, but hyena clans will respond aggressively to other predators moving into their area.

Hyenas are capable of short charges of up to 50km/h and can maintain a steady, fast pace in pursuing prey over several kilometres. Their prey usually succumbs to exhaustion and is pulled down and disembowelled by the pack.

What do Hyenas eat?
In packs, hyenas go for big game - wildebeest, zebra and kudu and, very occasionally, buffalo. When they hunt alone, they go for smaller animals such as baboons, guinea fowls, ostriches, snakes and tortoises.

There is no love lost between lions and hyenas. Each will attack and kill the other's cubs, or elderly or sick individuals. Hyenas seem far less intimidated by lionesses than by lions, and are occasionally bold enough to try to bully lionesses off a kill if there are no males around.

Are Hyenas smarter than lions?
Hyenas are known for their cunning. They reputedly watch the skies for circling vultures to help them locate kills. They follow the path of least resistance in getting food and, as a result, have become quite ingenious - they've been seen trying to scoop out fish at drying water holes during times of drought.

Spotted hyenas have the reputation of being scavengers, but studies have shown that, in Kruger, they tend to hunt more than they steal. Indeed, they are the second major group of predators in the Park after lion, probably accounting for more animal kills than leopard and cheetah combined.

Hyena have tremendously powerful jaws, capable of crushing the thigh bone of a buffalo in one movement. If they are hungry, they will gorge themselves, eating up to a third of their own weight (15kg) at a single sitting!

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One of Africa's most unforgettable experiences is hearing the roar of a lion at night. When Ingonyama (Swazi) or Nghala (Shangaan) announces his presence with a deep roar that reverberates through the dark bush, everything within a five-kilometre radius pauses to take note.

A thousand years ago, they roamed as far afield as southern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but they are now found mainly in Africa and are generally restricted to the bigger game reserves.

Lions have always had an association with royalty and leadership. Their power is reflected in their impressive size and the fact that their lifestyles allow them to sleep a lot - up to 18 hours a day. They are awesome animals, with males weighing up to 225kg and females up to 150kg. The lion's average lifespan in the bush is probably around 15 years.

Lions are the biggest, and most social, of the African cats, living communally in prides. Pride leadership often shifts between several individual animals - male and female - but the social structure of the pride hinges around the bond between related lionesses, who collaborate in all tasks, from raising cubs to hunting.

Male lions come and go - often in spectacular battles over territory or individual dominance - but the pride cohesion remains unaffected, firmly under female control.

Lions favour open woodlands and thick scrub, the type of landscape that allows them to get as close to their prey as possible without being seen. In Kruger, the best chance of lion sightings is where the big game herds are.

When do Lions hunt?
As a rule, lions hunt mostly at night and rest during the day but are often active at dawn and dusk and on cooler days. During the day they rest in thorn thickets, often near water holes.

How Often Does a Lion Hunt?

How often do Lions eat?
Lions are believed to feed every three or four days, and need on average between 5kg and 7kg of meat a day.

How long can a Lion go without eating?
Lions can go without food for more than a week and then tear into prey, eating up to 50kg of meat at a time - that's almost a quarter of the animal's body weight.

How do lions hunt?
Lions hunt either collaboratively or by themselves. Collaborative hunting usually involves the males approaching the intended prey upwind with the intention of driving it towards lionesses hiding in the bush downwind. Lions are not as fast as most of their prey so they rely heavily on the element of surprise when hunting.

They will attempt to get to within 30m of their prey before charging. They don't have the inclination for a long chase and will not pursue their prey very far if the first attack fails.

How do Lions kill their prey?
In a successful hunt, the prey is knocked off balance, dragged down and then killed with a bite to the back of the neck or the throat. In some cases, a kill can be a bloody, drawn out procedure. Buffalo have been known to fend off lion attacks for hours before succumbing to loss of blood and energy. The strongest male lion will eat first, followed by other members of the pride. Lionesses will feed themselves first, with cubs getting the scraps.

Ever wondered what animal can kill a lion? Lions sometimes become the victims of their intended prey. There have been instances in which lions have been killed by giraffe, buffalo, kudu, snakes and even porcupines.

What Do Lions Eat?

What does a Lion eat?
The short answer is quite a lot. In Kruger, lions have a broad diet with 37 animal species on the menu, including ostriches, quelea nestlings, tortoises and small crocodiles. Their preference is for buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest among the bigger animals, and porcupine and warthog as smaller game.

Natural history artist Charles Astley Maberly - who rode through the Park on his bicycle sketching the wildlife in the 1920s - said that, in his experience, lions had a particular preference for waterbuck. This was confirmed by a 1960s study by former Kruger Chief Ranger Tol Pienaar who measured the kill rate of lions in the Park against the relative abundance of particular prey.

What Do Lions Hunt?

He found that, although lion killed relatively few giraffe, giraffe meat accounted for almost a third of the average lion's diet. His study also found that, contrary to popular belief, lions are not so fond of impala.

Kruger researchers suggest male and female lions may also have different prey preferences, with males being more disposed towards hunting buffalo, while lionesses prefer zebra or wildebeest.

Another lion fact not commonly appreciated is that lions are not just hunters, but scavengers as well, often chasing smaller predators - like cheetah - off their kills. In some instances, up to 50% of a lion's diet can come from scavenging rather than hunting live prey.

Lions on a Killing Spree

During periods of drought, lions sometimes go on a killing spree when they come across herds of weak animals. During the particularly bad drought of 1964, a pride of lions killed 15 buffalo near Punda Maria - far more than they could have eaten.

The territorial behaviour of lions is complicated because prides split up and re-unite, and hunting grounds shift as the seasons change and the game moves around. At any one time, a pride's territory in Kruger measures approximately 10 square kilometres. Territories may be defended vigorously by both males and females, but there are instances when prides share the same overlapping hunting zone yet deliberately avoid confrontation.

Clashes occur between prides when game migrations force lions to move beyond their territories in search of food, or when nomadic males challenge pride hierarchies. Fights can take the form of symbolic aggression displays and/or ferocious physical clashes that often result in the death of one or more participants.

If the challengers win, the defeated males are expelled and, in turn, become nomads themselves. The lionesses accept the new regime. Usually the conquering males kill all the cubs of the conquered pride. Within days of this infanticide the females come into oestrus and are ready to raise a new litter of the conquerer's cubs.

Scientists believe that territorial challenges are good for the survival of the species - they ensure diversity in the gene pool and dominance of the strongest genetic characteristics.

Lion Cubs

Lionesses typically give birth to litters of between two and four cubs. They are kept hidden in the bush for about six weeks. During this time, the lioness hunts exclusively for her cubs. Males provide no help. By the time they are two years old, cubs will have learnt to hunt for themselves.

At this time, male cubs are expelled from the pride while females are nurtured within it. These young males often form groupings of nomadic bachelors and either find new territories or challenge males in existing prides, and so the cyclical struggle for dominance goes on.

How Do Lions Attack Their Prey?

Lions hunt either alone or in prides. In collaborative hunts, it is usually the lioness who initiates the kill. Lions stalk their prey and, when close enough, attempt a short charge on their prey, trying either to pounce on their target or knock it over.

How does a Lion kill its prey? Lions kill their prey by breaking its neck or suffocating it by clamping their jaws around its throat.

The stomach is usually the easiest point of entry into the carcass, and this is the route most often taken by lions. It also gives them direct access to some of the most nutritious parts of the body, such as the kidneys and liver of the prey. Lions usually rest after an initial feed, lying a short way away from the carcass so that they can still defend their kill against scavengers.

In a short time vultures are certain to begin to arrive. The first are usually the white-backed vultures and then come the lappet-faced and others. Scavengers like hyaenas and jackals will be attracted by the vulture activity and will patiently wait at a safe distance until the lions have had their fill. It can take over 24 hours before lions abandon their carcass and spectacular fights may occur among scavengers for the last scraps of food.

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Leopards are the least social - and perhaps the most beautiful - of the African big cats. They usually keep to themselves, lurking in dense riverine bush or around rocky koppies, emerging to hunt late in the afternoon or at night.

How big is a Leopard?
The leopard is a graceful animal with an elongated body, relatively short legs and a long tail. After the lion, the leopard is the next-biggest African cat with an average body mass of between 60kg and 70kg, standing about two-thirds of a metre tall at the shoulder.

How long do Leopards live?
Leopards in the wild may live up to 15 years. Unlike the lion, the leopard is a silent creature, only occasionally emitting a cough-like call.

How do Leopards hunt?
The leopard's hunting technique is to either ambush its prey or to stalk it. In either instance, it tries to get as close as possible to its target. It then makes a brief and explosive charge (up to 60km/h), pouncing on its prey and dispatching it with a bite to the neck. Leopards do not have the aptitude to chase their quarry over any kind of distance and will give up if the initial element of surprise is lost and the intended victim gets away.

©Robert Hofmeyr

Leopard in a tree.

What Does a Leopard Eat?

Leopards eat a variety of food, from wildebeest to fish, but most of their diet comes in the form of antelope.

How much weight can a Leopard carry up a tree?
Leopards are capable of carrying animals heavier than themselves and will often drag their prey into the fork of a tree several metres off the ground. This tree "lardering" protects the carcass against scavengers and allows a few days of undisturbed feeding. 

Researchers believe that each individual leopard accounts for approximately 20 kills a year. Leopards eat on average about a third of the carcass of the animal they kill and this works out at roughly 400kg of meat per leopard each year. This means that leopards probably need just over a kilogram of meat a day. A leopard will often lick the fur off the carcass of its prey before it feeds, starting with the thighs or the chest.

Leopard at night.

Leopard Facts

Leopards are highly adaptable creatures, capable of living in semi-desert conditions as well as dense subtropical bush. Their territories can also vary in size from 10 square kilometres, to several hundred square kilometres. Leopards scratch trees and use urine to mark their turf. A male leopard will defend his territory against other males, but will share territory with females.

Baboons and leopards appear to be ancient enemies. Leopards will often stalk baboons sleeping in the trees at night, and try to carry off one of the troop. There has been a case recorded in which a leopard that tried to attack a baboon in broad daylight was torn to pieces by the rest of the troop, which quickly came to the shrieking primate's defence.

Male and female leopards spend only a brief time together while they are mating and then go their separate ways. The female will then raise the cubs on her own. Leopards can survive for long periods without drinking, satisfying all their moisture needs from their prey.

Ever wondered what eats Leopards?
On occasion, Lions have been known to hunt and kill leopards.

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Name

Side-striped Jackal [Canis adustus]

Appearance

The Side Striped Jackal (Canis adustus) is a nocturnal, dog-like carnivore, with a head and body length of 650-800 mm and tail length of 300-400 mm. Shoulder height 400- 500 mm, mass 7-12 kg. Timid and rarely seen the Side-striped Jackal is larger than the more common Black-backed Jackal.

Grey to buff coloured body and with a darker back, the sides are marked with a white stripe with black lower margins. The dark tail is almost always tipped with white, whereas the ears are a dark buff colour.

Diet

The success of this omnivorous species can be attributed to its ability to live off a wide variety of food, changing its diet in response to environmental conditions. Diet includes small mammals, carrion, fruits, maize, reptiles, eggs and birds. The Side-striped Jackal is less predatory than the Black-backed Jackal.

©Roger de la Harpe

Breeding

Mating normally occurs during June-July, but some mating may take place throughout the year. After a gestation period of 57-64 days, four to six pups are born during August to November. Assistance with the rearing of pups is rendered by the previous year's offspring.

Excavated termitaria and old Aardvark burrows are commonly used as dens. Both parents assist with rearing the young after weaning. They bring food to the pups in the mouth or regurgitate it at two to three hour intervals throughout the night.

Behaviour

During the breeding season a pair remains in close proximity. It is a highly territorial species, and each territory is held by a monogamous pair and their recent offspring. Offspring will eventually disperse and find their own territories. The Side Striped Jackal inhabits open plains.

Where Side-striped Jackal Are Found

In South Africa the Side-striped Jackal distributions stretches from Northern KwaZulu-Natal to Mpumalanga, the Northern Province and Swaziland.

Field Notes

The Side-striped Jackal feeds exclusively on fruit in season and will often dedicate its diet to availability during particular seasons. The Side-striped Jackal seldom targets large prey and as such does not pose a threat to stock farmers that the Black-backed Jackal does.

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African reptiles guide to the reptile species found in Kruger National Park. This Africa Reptiles guide includes information and photographs on:

• Snakes

• Lizards

• Tortoise

• Crocodiles

Wahlbergs Velvet Gecko

A large Wahlbergs Velvet Gecko. The back is light to dark grey-brown, usually with irregular pale and dark crossbars. Wahlbergs Velvet Gecko diet consists of large insects, termites and millipedes...

Variable Skink

A medium-sized Variable Skink with a rounded snout and a window in each lower lid. Colouration is variable; the back may be blackish, olive, pale brown or red-brown, with or without black spots...

Vine Snake

This extremely thin snake has a lance-shaped head and large eyes with keyhole-shaped pupils. The body scales of a Vine Snake are feebly keeled, in 19 oblique rows at midbody. The tail is very long...

Striped Skink

This medium-sized Striped Skink has a window in each of the lower eyelids. The ear openings are lobed. Colouration differs between the subspecies...

Spotted Thick Toed Gecko

A Spotted Thick Toed Gecko is a small, gentle gecko with a fat body and a rounded snout. The back is grey to greyish-brown, with 4 rows of elongated, blackish spots that are not white-edged and occasionally fuse into irregular...

Spekes Hinged Tortoise

A medium-sized tortoise with a smooth, depressed carapace with a well developed hinge. The shell of a juvenile Spekes Hinged Tortoise has a zonary pattern with concentric light and dark zones...

Southern Tree Agama

A Southern Tree Agama is a very large agama with a broad head. Breeding males have a dull blue to bluish back, with bright blue (anteriorly) to straw-yellow (posteriorly) spines and a bright cobalt-blue head...

Serrated Hinged Terrapin

The largest hinged terrapin is the Serrated Hinged Terrapin. The carapace and bridge are uniform black in colour. The plastron is yellow-centered, with a sharply defined, black, angular pattern around the edge...

Rough Scaled Plated Lizard

A large, stout lizard, with a short head and large eyes. The Rough Scaled Plated Lizard back is straw- coloured to light brown. The chin and throat are light straw to cream, and the belly is smoky-grey to light brown...

Puff Adder

The thick, heavily built Puff Adder has a large, flattened, triangular head and large nostrils which point vertically upwards. The body is yellow-brown to light brown, with black, pale-edged chevrons...

Pan Hinged Terrapin

A small Pan Hinged Terrapin with a rounded, smooth shell and a small plastral hinge; no axillary. The head is large, with a blunt snout and smooth beak; there are usually 2 tentacles under the chin...

Ornate Sandveld Lizard

A large Ornate Sandveld Lizard with a blotched pattern in adults. Juveniles are blackish-brown on the back with 3 white longitudinal stripes. Adults are brown dorsally with irregular black blotches...

Olive Grass Snake

An Olive Grass Snake is a large, robust snake with a non-flattened snout and a long tail. The back is olive-brown (paler towards the tail), sometimes with black-edged scales, forming thin black lines or with scattered...

Leopard Tortoise

A Leopard Tortoise may exceed 700 mm in length and 40 kg in weight. The carapace is domed and not hinged, with scutes only faintly raised. The nuchal is absent. The beak is sometimes hooked...

Red Lipped Snake

A small snake with a broad, obvious head and a short tail. The scales are in 19 rows at midbody and are dull; the head is iridescent when the skin is freshly shed. The back of the Red Lipped Snake is olive...

Giant Plated Lizard

A large lizard with a flattened head and body, an adult Giant Plated Lizard back is dark brown to black. The throat is dirty white, and the belly is light brown. Juveniles are black...

Flap Neck Chameleon

A large chameleon with a continuous crest of small, white, triangular tubercles on the throat and belly. The Flap Neck Chameleon colouration varies, from pale yellow through green shades to brown. The belly crest...

Rainbow Skink

A large, beautifully coloured skink with a small, transparent window in each lower eyelid. The relatively long forelimbs and hind limbs overlap when pressed against the body. The colouration of the Rainbow Skink is varied, depending on its sex and age...

Cape Wolf Snake

A small snake that grows larger in the southern part of its range, the Cape Wolf Snake has a flattened head. Colouration is usually uniform dark brown to black, sometimes with each scale white-tipped...

Brown House Snake

A large Brown House Snake has an obvious head and small body scales. It is uniform red-brown in colour. Large, old snakes are darker, almost black. There are 2 pale yellow streaks on the side of the head...

Boomslang

A large snake with a distinct head, and very large eyes with round pupils. Colouration of the Boomslang is very variable. They may be leaf-green, bright green or black with dark grey, black-edged belly scales, or brick-red to rust-red...

Black Lined Plated Lizard

A large, thick-bodied Black Lined Plated Lizard has a large, robust head. The back is reddish-brown with well-defined, black-edged, yellow dorsolateral stripes, and often with yellow streaks down the backbone...

Black Mamba

A large, streamlined snake with a narrow, coffin-shaped head and smooth scales. The back is uniform gunmetal to olive-brown but, despite its name, a Black Mamba is never really black. The belly is pale grey-green, sometimes...

African Rock Python

Africa's largest snake is the African Rock Python. There is a large spearhead mark on the crown of the head; dark and light bands radiating from eye to lip. The body is grey-green/-brown, with dark-brown, black-edged bars and blotches on top...

Crocodile

Given the wide distribution range, a number of population differences between Crocodiles have been observed, and several subspecies proposed. These are rarely differentiated in the literature, however, and they are...

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