This park covers 55,000 hectares and is the fourth largest game park in southern Africa, and is malaria-free. The park boasts healthy populations of lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo - Africa's "Big 5". A wide variety of rare and common species exist with endemic species like the nocturnal brown hyaena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile, to mention but a few.
The history of Pilanesberg National Park is unique amongst national parks in Africa in that the park's special features of rugged landscape, well-watered valleys and attractive dwelling sites have made it a preferred site for human settlement for thousands of years.
Prior to its proclamation as a reserve in 1979, the Pilanesberg National Park Complex was degraded and depleted of indigenous game populations due to fairly intense settlement by commercial farmers. At considerable expense, the land has been restocked with game, the scars of human settlement were removed and tourism infrastructure was developed during the first 15 years (1979 and 1993). This constituted the largest and most expensive game stocking and land rehabilitation project ever undertaken in any African game reserve at the time.
A fence was erected over some very rugged terrain, roads have been developed and more than 6,000 head of game were introduced, so while wildlife resources are rapidly declining in most developing countries in Africa, Pilanesberg National Park is one of the few areas where this trend has been dramatically reversed. Africa's 'Big 5', as well as a wide variety of rare and common species exist with endemic species like the nocturnal brown hyaena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile, to mention but a few.
Pilanesberg exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as 'Bushveld'. Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone. Springbok, brown hyaena, the red-eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually found in arid areas are found co-habitating with moist-area-limited impala, black-eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees. Pre-sunrise and post-sunset drives are possible owing to gate opening/closure times.
The weathering of the extinct crater has resulted in a wide variety of landscapes, which provides some of the most spectacular scenery in Southern Africa, as well as a wide range of habitats for game animals. Because of this, Pilanesberg National Park has the potential to carry a wider variety of game species than any other similar sized game reserve in the country.
Our groups are usually accommodated at Bukabung, offering luxurious accommodation. All the hotel rooms boast bushveld views, en-suite facilities, air-conditioning and satellite tv. Activities include game walks, game drives and a natural rock swimming pool, as well as a host of sporting opportunities, including tennis, volleyball, cricket, darts and outdoor chess.
