Madikwe Game Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is author of ‘The Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa’.

Madikwe Game Reserve is an excellent Big Five destination. White rhino and elephant are common to abundant and very relaxed. Black rhino and buffalo, though more timid, might be seen drinking at waterholes after dark. As for carnivores, you’re almost certain to see lion, black-backed jackal and spotted hyena. You also stand a fair chance of spotting cheetah, leopard, wild dog and brown hyena. Also common are giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, greater kudu and warthog.

ElephantAbundant

GiraffeCommon

HippoOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoCommon

Black RhinoOccasional

LionCommon

LeopardOccasional

CheetahOccasional

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogOccasional

Wildlife Highlights

Madikwe’s dry-country habitat is home to three species of hyena. These are the widespread spotted hyena and more localized brown hyena, both of which are seen with some regularity, as well as the daintier insect-eating aardwolf. Dry-country antelope you might encounter include gemsbok, springbok, red hartebeest and eland. On night drives you might spot aardvark, African wild cat, serval and caracal.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing is reliably good throughout the year but best over the dry winter months of May to September (the Dry season). At this time animals gather around permanent water sources and the vegetation thins out, making wildlife easier to spot. Winter mornings and evenings can be cold, so do bring warm clothes.