Where to always find the Big Five
- Natasha Campbell
- Jul 26, 2020
- 2 min read
Bergendal is a bustling rest-camp in the south of the Kruger Park, and home to buffalo, lion, rhino, leopard and elephant - A.K.A. the Big Five. Lying awake at night you can hear the roars' of the lion pride's which reside in the area. From the end of January through until March you will find one of South Africa's most protected species, the black rhino. Throughout the year you will see large herds of elephant and buffalo, which I personally love to watch cooling off at the Matjulu waterhole (about a 10 minute drive from the camp). The most rare and elusive of the five, is the leopard.

Leopard are one of the least spotted animals in the Kruger Park, and for good reason. Many tourist look to the treetops to find the queen of the bush-veld, but a local tip is to look below the trees. Leopard usually drag their prey up into the bow of a tree in order to protect it from scavenging predators, and this is where lucky photographers snap those beautiful pictures with which we are all familiar. But, the place you will most likely see a leopard is lying in the shade of a nearby tree. The leopard's spots disguise her perfectly in dappled shade, therefore your best chance of finding her is to first find her prey. If you see a kill hanging from a tree or up on a rock, you can be sure that there is a leopard in the area. It is up to you to turn off your car, wind down your windows, and try find one of natures masters of disguise.
Bergendal is one of my favourite rest-camps in the Kruger Park, partly, because it is so easy to get there. The camp is only about a 20 minute drive from the Malelane gate, making it the perfect overnight or weekend getaway. The hilly landscape around the camp is breathtaking year-round, and the camping facilities are some of the best the Kruger has to offer. If you go during the off-season (when South African schools are open) you might be lucky enough to get a campsite right next to the fence.
While camping along the fence I have had the most unique animal encounters. The smell of a neighbouring braai has almost always enticed the resident hyena, which prowl the fence about 1 meter from where I am sitting. I highly recommend bringing a powerful torch to shine beyond the fence on a moonless night. On my last visit, I heard a loud crunching while telling stories around the camp fire. I turned on my torch and the beam landed upon a herd of elephant which were using the cover of night to migrate down the dried river bed running alongside the fence.
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