Kruger Safaris November 2021 Highlights
November 2021 showed us, yet again, why going on a Kruger safari in November is one of the best decisions safari-enthusiasts can make. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, the occasional afternoon thundershower causes rivers and waterholes to swell and in terms of visitor numbers, November is the calm before the end-of-year holiday storm.
It wasn't just the sense we had all of Kruger National Park to ourselves that took our November safaris to the next level. The wonderful newborn animal and large predator sightings played their part, too. Scroll down for some of our favourite November 2021 Kruger safari highlights.
A young zebra foal turns to look at us.
Two Kruger legends; the South Shishangeni male and the last Eastern Bank male.
A buffalo calf.
Leopard lazing in the branches of a tree.
Impala lambs mark the start of the new safari season in Kruger.
This female who was born with a defect shows how resilient and adaptable elephants can be. First spotted in 2009 as a subadult, she was given the name Rhandzekile (meaning 'loved' in Shangaan). We are thrilled to report that she's doing remarkably well.
When you see and hear the call of the Woodland Kingfisher throughout Kruger, you know that summer has finally arrived.
This was one of our most exciting and unusual November sightings. A giraffe with a pink tongue. A giraffe's tongue is usually dark and this is the first time we've ever seen one with a pink tongue!
Shangwa, the latest leopard celebrity, is often spotted hanging around Skukuza.
A baby baboon.
The larva of the cabbage tree emperor moth.
An adorable elephant calf.
The wonderful Kruger sunsets in November.
A male lion taking an afternoon nap.
Two elephant bulls sparing with each other in the early morning.
Notice how the grass is growing. It was still short enough, though, for us to spot this African wild dog peering at us through the long blades.
These two squirrels came out of hiding to warm up in the rays of the rising sun.
Another Kruger baby; a hyena cub.
Hippo.
A lion cub amongst the wildflowers.
An elephant calf stretching its short, little trunk.
A young rhino.
Everyone always says the dry season from June to September is the best time of year to visit South Africa's, Kruger National Park. And while that is mostly true, we've always said that the best month to visit Kruger is November. Find out more about Kruger's secret safari season here.
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Kruger Safaris October 2021 Highlights
If you were one of the lucky ones who managed to escape the onset of autumn in the northern hemisphere for an October safari in South Africa's Kruger National Park this year, you would have enjoyed a daily average of 8.8 hours of sunshine, temperatures well over 30°C and cheetah cubs, baby warthogs, rhino and elephant calves and leopard cubs sightings.
About the author
Dianne Kokkonidis was born in Johannesburg, grew up in the Transkei and spent years exploring Europe. She returned to South Africa to live on a farm in the Outeniqua Mountains when the call of Africa got too loud to ignore. She comes from a family of storytellers, so it's no surprise she's now found her way into writing about one of the oldest stories known to mankind - the lure of Africa.
