Landscapes of the
Kruger National Park

Where are the Animals? 
Spread over 2 million hectares, there is no short answer to this question, but a little common sense can help:

• The predators (carnivores) can be found where their prey is found.

• The prey of the carnivores (mostly herbivores) are found where their favourite food (vegetation) and water occurs.

• The distribution of different vegetation types, in turn, is determined by the geology, soils, temperature and rainfall.

The different landscapes of the Kruger National Park provides some guidance as to where the different herbivores are most likely to occur.

Landscapes of the southern KNP
Conservation scientists of the KNP identified 35 landscapes in the Park, 11 of which occur in the southern portion of the Park.  The landscape classification is based on climate, geomorphology, vegetation and faunal composition.

Description of the KNP Landscapes

1	Lowveld Sour Bushveld of Pretoriuskop
2	Malelane Mountain Bushveld
3	Combretum collinum/Combretum zeyheri Woodland
4	Thickets of the Sabie river
5	Mixed Combretum spp./Terminalia sericea Woodland
6	Combretum and Mopani Woodland of the Timbavati
13	Azazia welwitschii Thickets on Karoo Sediments
14	Kumana Sandveld
17	Sclerocarya birrea/Acacia nigrescens Savanna
19	Thornveld on Gabro
29	Lebombo South

 

Sable Antelope

Kudu

White Rhinoceros

Warthog

Tsessebe

Blue Wildebeest

Giraffe

Herbivores of the Landscapes
 

This is certainly not a comprehensive list of the larger herbivores of the Kruger National Park, but merely an indication as to which larger mammals are associated most frequently with the different Landscapes. (Source: The Kruger National Park. A History. Vol. III, 2007 by Salomon Joubert)

1. Lowveld Sour Bushveld of Pretoriuskop
Sable Antelope - the highest concentration in the southern KNP. Common Reedbuck - highest density in the KNP. White Rhino, Eland, Tsessebe and the rare Lichtenstein's Hartebeest were reintroduced into this landscape.

2. Malelane Mountain Bushveld
Mountain Reedbuck - only viable population in the KNP. Grey Rhebok were introduced to the mountain plateaus. White Rhino and Klipspringer are also common in this landscape.

3. Combretum collinum/Combretum zeyheri Woodland
White Rhino, Sable Antelope and Kudu occur in high concentrations.

4. Thickets of the Sabie River
Impala occur in high concentrations. Elephant, Kudu, Warthog, Grey Duiker, and Giraffe are also common.

5. Combretum spp./Terminalia sericea Woodland
Sable Antelope are highly concentrated in the north. Tsessebe favor the northern regions of this landscape. Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Kudu, White Rhino and Impala are common.

6. Combretum/Mopani Woodland of Timbavati
Sable Antelope - one of 3 populations in the KNP.
Elephants seasonally abundant and Buffalo are common.

13. Azazia welwitschii Thickets on Karoo Sediments
Elephants in the woodlands and thickets are common. Rhino are attracted to the more open aspects. Zebra and Wildebeest occur in large numbers during the rainy season to the lush grass.  High densities of Impala, Kudu, Giraffe, Warthog and Buffalo are common. Introduced Black Rhino also occurs.

14. Kumana Sandveld
Same species as for Landscape 13 occur here.

17. Sclerocarya birrea/Acacia nigrescens Savanna
Preferred habitat of the largest of the three major populations of Wildebeest and Zebra in the KNP. Large numbers of Impala, Kudu, Giraffe and Buffalo occur here. Major population of Tsessebe and scattered herds of Sable Antelope as well as significant numbers of White Rhino.

19. Thornveld on Gabro
Impala, Wildebeest, and Zebra occur in large numbers.  Few scattered herds of Roan Antelope also present.

29. Lebombo South
Elephant, Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest (on the plateau), Giraffe, Kudu, Impala, Klipspringer, and Warthog are common. Scattered herds of Sable Antelope and Tsessebe also occur, as well as White and Black Rhino that were reintroduced to this Landscape.

Common Reedbuck

 
Eland

Klipspringer

Elephant

Buffalo

Impala

Zebra

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