Hlane Royal National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Alan researched and wrote about Swaziland for Lonely Planet.

Hlane Royal National Park’s flagship species include lion, elephant, white rhino, giraffe and hippo with good populations of zebra, blue wildebeest and warthog. The most common antelope is impala and they roam around in large herds. Other antelope often seen include greater kudu, nyala and waterbuck. Common duiker and bushbuck can be found in the thickets. Hyena are often heard at night, but rarely seen.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoCommon

BuffaloNone

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoCommon

Black RhinoNone

LionOccasional

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahNone

HyenaRare

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

Lions are kept in a large, separate enclosure and can be seen on a guided game drive. This means that sightings are pretty much guaranteed. Another highlight is the rhino drive, one of the activities on offer. Here, the focus is on the white rhino, with the opportunity to disembark the vehicle and approach a rhino on foot.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Hlane offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year. Many flagship species are kept in large enclosures, which makes viewing them almost guaranteed. The dry months of June to September, when vegetation is thin, are best to see the smaller creatures. August to September is a recommended time as temperatures are higher than in mid-winter and the animals are concentrated around water sources, making for excellent wildlife watching.