Mapungubwe National Park

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

By Philip Briggs

Philip is the author of the Bradt and Insight guides to South Africa.

Mapungubwe is not primarily a typical safari destination. Its cultural and historical attractions are what it is known for. It is, however, a place with real wilderness appeal. A drive around the small wildlife viewing circuit will offer good sightings of a variety of species. Elephant, blue wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, blue duiker and warthog are all quite common.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoOccasional

BuffaloNone

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoRare

Black RhinoNone

LionVery Rare

LeopardRare

CheetahVery Rare

HyenaRare

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

Klipspringer are particularly at home in the dramatic landscape with rocky outcrops. They can be seen standing in pairs resembling little statues on top of a boulder. Chacma baboon also love to keep guard on top of the sandstone cliffs. Eland and red hartebeest can be found on the grassy plains while greater kudu keep to the thickets.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in Mapungubwe doesn’t depend much on the seasons, but it is slightly better in the driest months of June through September. These months are also most pleasant in terms of temperatures as it gets incredibly hot during the summer months from October to May.