By Rachel Hill
You can't go to South Africa without making at least one expedition to a major game reserve. This country has some of the best wildlife viewing on the African continent. Moreover, its tourist industry has developed an excellent infrastructure that makes a wildlife safari easy, comfortable, and generally affordable for most visitors. The leading wildlife parks are very well organized. They have well surfaced roads, excellent accommodations, and splendid facilities for viewing animals. For visitors who want it, the wildlife viewing excursion can be much more independent than it is in other countries. Visitors can self-drive on the extensive road networks in destinations such as Kruger National Park. Nonetheless, a guided tour is advisable, because a park ranger can direct you to the best places to see wildlife, and is a wealth of information about the animals and the flora.
Now You See Me, Now You Don't
Some wild animals don't like to have humans watching them; others couldn't care less, as long as the humans don't get too close. Many aren't even trying to hide, when it appears that they are, they're just naturally camouflaged. A park ranger will be invaluable in helping you see animals you might otherwise miss. The best times of day for spotting animals in their natural habitat are early morning and late afternoon. The best time of year is winter, which is July to September in South Africa. That is when dry weather forces animals to congregate around water holes and vegetation is less dense, making the animals more visible. The chances of seeing mating displays and baby animals are better in the spring and summer, but lush greenery can obscure photo opportunities. However, don't unnecessarily disturb animals just to get a good picture.
What Are the Big Five?
The term "Big Five" was coined in the days when professional big game hunters were looked upon as celebrities, as famous as star athletes are today. These "sportsmen" went to South Africa to bag the biggest and most exotic animals to add to their trophy collections. The Big Five were elephant, lion, rhino, Cape buffalo and leopard.
A Different Kind of Shooting
Big game hunting is still a big business in South Africa, but many of the animals once hunted for sport are now on the endangered species list and are protected. More people now do their shooting with cameras. For these animal lovers, the Big Five has been expanded to the Big Nine, with the addition to the list of hippo, giraffe, cheetah and zebra. Even amateur photographers have a good chance of getting great shots of these beautiful animals.
Field Guide
The park rangers say, "The animals are where you find them." But it helps if you know where to look. Giraffes like to browse around tall trees, rhinos prefer dry brush and scrub. The cheetah is an open plains hunter; forest cramps its speedy style. Leopards hunt in both forest and Savannah at night, but in the daytime they can be seen resting in trees, often guarding a kill. Lions are also night hunters, and can often be seen lazing in the shade during the daytime. Keep your eyes open, and learn where to look, and you'll see hyenas, baboons, wart hogs, springboks, and all of the other creatures of wild South Africa.
Rachel Hill is a Southern Africa Travel specialist, a company specialising in luxury, tailor-made South Africa holidays, as well as holidays to other destinations in Southern Africa. Our experienced consultants will help you design your very own luxury South Africa holiday, and will be happy to provide you with a free quote.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?South-Africa---Game-Parks-and-Wildlife&id=5084245] South Africa - Game Parks and Wildlife
