Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is author of the Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa.

The Pilanesberg has healthy populations of all of the Big Five animals. Elephant and White rhino are particularly common. Black rhino also occurs but is rarely seen. As with any reserve that doesn't allow off-road driving and has thick vegetation, cat sightings are hit-and-miss. There is plenty of general plains wildlife around to keep game drives interesting.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoCommon

BuffaloRare

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoCommon

Black RhinoVery Rare

LionOccasional

LeopardRare

CheetahRare

HyenaOccasional

Wild DogVery Rare

Wildlife Highlights

The Pilanesberg is a good place to see the rare nocturnal brown hyena. Night drives will give you the best chance to encounter these shy but inquisitive creatures. Also, keep an eye out for serval, and lucky visitors might come across a pack of wild dog. One of the more unusual antelope species that roam the reserve is the fastest of Africa’s antelopes, the tsessebe.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

The Dry season (June to September) is best for wildlife viewing in Pilanesberg GR. The drought thins the foliage creating a better view, and animals congregate around and drink at permanent water sources.