Giraffe
Giraffes move in small herds across the open savannah and are among the easiest animals to spot.
Chance of a Sighting
THE BIG FIVE
Five animals.
One encounter that stays.
Lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo have been known as the Big Five since colonial times, named after the five animals once considered the hardest to hunt on foot. Today the term stands for what draws many travellers to South Africa in the first place: the chance to encounter all five in the wild.
ON SAFARI
The Five in Portrait
IN THE BUSH
More Residents of the Wild
Beyond the Big Five, Kapama and Rhino Sands are home to an equally rich and surprising array of wildlife, from giraffes and zebras to the rare pangolins of the Elephant Coast. Every drive holds new discoveries.
Zebra
Plains zebra often cross the grasslands alongside wildebeest, a familiar sight on game drives.
Chance of a Sighting
Wildebeest
Blue wildebeest live in large herds and are among the most frequently sighted animals on the open plains.
Chance of a Sighting
Spotted Hyena
Mostly active at dusk, with one of the strongest bites in the African animal kingdom.
Chance of a Sighting
Cheetah
The fastest land animal on earth, considerably rarer than the Big Five, but always a special moment.
Chance of a Sighting
African Wild Dog
One of Africa's rarest and most endangered predators, with fewer than 7,000 animals left in the wild continent-wide.
Chance of a Sighting
Hippopotamus
Occasionally seen at waterholes, usually with only eyes and ears above the surface.
Chance of a Sighting
RHINO SANDS ONLYPangolin
One of the least-seen mammals in Africa. Rhino Sands is among the few reserves in South Africa with an active reintroduction programme for rescued pangolins.
Chance of a Sighting
RHINO SANDS SPECIALTYServal & Caracal
Two shy, nocturnal wild cats, documented considerably more often in the dense bushland of the Elephant Coast than elsewhere.
Chance of a Sighting
RHINO SANDS SPECIALTYNyala
This elegant, striped antelope is especially common in the bushland of Zululand.
Chance of a Sighting
An experienced ranger knows the territory of each animal, its habits and the tracks it leaves behind. That knowledge turns a drive through the landscape into a genuine encounter with the wilderness.