Game and Wildlife
When one talks of South Africa's animals, the 200 Game Parks dotted around the country give an opportunity to see many of the native animal species.
Of all the game parks, obviously Kruger is the largest and best known but there are many both state run and privately owned safari parks dotted around the country - the accommodation at some of them so luxurious it would be hard to tear yourself away!
The safaris organised by the Game Parks ensure a good viewing of a selection
of animals. The "Big Five" (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino) is always a proud boast but many
smaller parks, although maybe not having all of these will have zebra, giraffe, different kinds of antelope, wart
hogs, tortoise and many more - all a delight to see in their own environment.
There are a number of Game Parks in the malaria - free Eastern and Western Cape
which means no anti-malaria tablets to be taken!!
As well as the Game Parks there are many animal rescues to visit (the Born Free Foundation at Shamwari Game Reserve
near Port
Elizabeth, Monkey World near Knysna and the cheetah programme
at Spier vineyard near Stellenbosch to name one or two)
Along the Cape coast there is of course whale and dolphin watching (July to November) - especially good at Hermanus
where the whales come close into shore. If you are in Kwa Zulu Natal
in June or July, you may be lucky enough to see the famous "sardine run" when millions of sardines come
close inshore followed by their natural predators- dolphins, sharks and gannets. The locals catch huge quantities
so the occasion is also a source of local speciality food!
Kwazulu Natal has a number of Game Reserves -Hluhluwe/Umfolozi, Ndumo, Ithala, Tembe Elephant Park and the St Lucia Wetlands including Mkhuze Game Reserve.
All of the parks offer ranger guided game drives and walks and usually have excellent
facilities, including swimming pools, delicious food and comfortable accommodation. Many of them are designed to
blend in with the bush so that you can enjoy the sights and sounds of Africa in comfort and safety.
Bird life is always in great evidence from the oyster catchers on Robben Island to the vultures "cleaning
up" after a lion kill. Many of the birds are brightly coloured( which makes spotting them somewhat easier!)
- bee eaters of every colour are a special treat. Many B & B's and hotels organise special birdwatching walks
so do ask at your accommodation.
As well as seeing animals within the Game Parks, there are many smaller residents to be enjoyed in parks and gardens
- squirrels, dassies (rock hyrax, a small guinea pig like animal often seen on Table Mountain), baboons (do not
feed - can be dangerous!), frogs, the occasional snake and numerous birds.
There are also of course, the farms with their ostrich, sheep and cattle. Many of these offer tourists a chance
to see the working farm and the animal breeding and husbandry programmes.
Plants & Flowers
Many of the larger cities have beautiful botanical gardens e.g. Durban,
Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Worcester, Bloemfontein and Gauteng. Each of them displays the flora of
their area in addition to some specialities - for instance Worcester has a desert Botanic Garden.
Each of the areas of South Africa has its own flora - the semi - deserts with their scrubland and acacia trees
and the strange kokerboom (quiver tree from which the Bushmen made their arrows) and the aloe and other succulents
that survive the harsh conditions by storing water in their fleshy leaves.
The Western Cape boasts about 8,000 different plant species. The fine leafed bush growing in the Cape is known
as fynbos and include many proteas, ericas and helichrysums. In Spring, the fynbos creates a multicoloured carpet
over vast areas.
Much of South Africa is covered in indigenous forest - particularly along the coast of Kwa Zulu Natal and around
the Knysna area where many huge hardwood trees grow. Yellow wood and stinkwood are two varieties prized for their
beautiful timber (Much of the old furniture in museums and historic houses are superb examples of this timber)
Many of the places which would have originally been forest have now been
planted with eucalyptus - you will see mile upon mile of them in some parts of Kwa Zulu Natal - to feed the demands
of the paper pulp industries. Because the eucalyptus is a very thirsty tree, the plantation s often prevent mountain
stream water reaching the valleys below which can have a detrimental effect on the valley farmers
Many areas of South Africa are covered by the Bushveld - the Cedarberg and Kruger are excellent examples. Tall
grasses and shrubs interspersed with medium sized trees - the marula (fruit of the tree is a great favourite with
both elephant and wart hog), the boabab and the acacia with its huge seed pods. Many of the plants of the bush
are very thorny or spiky (hence the necessity to wear sensible shoes if you embark on a game walk!)
The Drakensberg and parts of the Cedarberg with their high mountains and extreme conditions have their own plant
life including a variety of grasses and heathers. There are a few rare mountain flowering plant species which are
very difficult to find - the snow protea being one example.
The Kwa Zulu Natal coastal region is an area of salt lagoons, mangrove swamps. The large sand dunes near St Lucia
are clothed in grasses ,sedges and wild palms. Just inland from the salt marshes are large cultivated areas of
sugar cane, bananas, avocados mangoes and other fruit.
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