Pilanesberg National Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

🐘 Elephants Thrive in Pilanesberg

🌍 #36 Global · 4.7 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #24 in Africa #25 in Savanna & Grassland

Southern Africa, South Africa 795 spp. recorded

Pilanesberg National Park is a protected tropical savanna reserve in South Africa, set within a series of ancient ring-shaped volcanic ridges. Open grassland plains and scattered acacia thickets dominate this terrain, crossed by dusty vehicle tracks rather than walking paths.

-25.240° S 27.057° E

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

60–70% · Likely

White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum

50–60% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

40–50% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Grey Go-Away-Bird

Corythaixoides concolor

80–90% · Very likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

70–80% · Very likely

Natal Francolin

Pternistis natalensis

60–70% · Likely

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

60–70% · Likely

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely

Southern Giraffe

Giraffa giraffa

60–70% · Likely

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

60–70% · Likely

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

60–70% · Likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

50–60% · Likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

50–60% · Likely

LADO

Spilopelia senegalensis

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

African Bush Elephant

Loxodonta africana

60–70% · Likely

White Rhinoceros

Ceratotherium simum

50–60% · Likely

Lion

Panthera leo

40–50% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Southern Giraffe

Giraffa giraffa

60–70% · Likely

Plains Zebra

Equus quagga

60–70% · Likely

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

50–60% · Likely

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

50–60% · Likely

Greater Kudu

Tragelaphus strepsiceros

50–60% · Likely

Waterbuck

Kobus ellipsiprymnus

40–50% · Likely

Common Warthog

Phacochoerus africanus

40–50% · Likely

Steenbok

Raphicerus campestris

40–50% · Likely

Banded Mongoose

Mungos mungo

30–40% · Possible

Vervet Monkey

Chlorocebus pygerythrus

30–40% · Possible

Chacma Baboon

Papio ursinus

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Grey Go-Away-Bird

Corythaixoides concolor

80–90% · Very likely

Common Bulbul

Pycnonotus barbatus

70–80% · Very likely

Natal Francolin

Pternistis natalensis

60–70% · Likely

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

60–70% · Likely

Fork-tailed Drongo

Dicrurus adsimilis

60–70% · Likely

Blacksmith Lapwing

Vanellus armatus

60–70% · Likely

Egyptian Goose

Alopochen aegyptiaca

60–70% · Likely

Cape Turtle Dove

Streptopelia capicola

50–60% · Likely

LADO

Spilopelia senegalensis

50–60% · Likely

Pied Crow

Corvus albus

50–60% · Likely

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

50–60% · Likely

Red-shouldered Glossy-starling

Lamprotornis nitens

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Nile Crocodile

Crocodylus niloticus

30–40% · Possible

Serrated Hinged Terrapin

Pelusios sinuatus

30–40% · Possible

Nile Monitor

Varanus niloticus

20–30% · Possible

Leopard Tortoise

Stigmochelys pardalis

20–30% · Possible

Montane Speckled Skink

Trachylepis punctatissima

20–30% · Possible

Cape Dwarf Gecko

Lygodactylus capensis

20–30% · Possible

Cape Terrapin

Pelomedusa galeata

10–20% · With luck

Flap-necked Chameleon

Chamaeleo dilepis

10–20% · With luck

Southern Tree Agama

Acanthocercus atricollis

10–20% · With luck

Black Mamba

Dendroaspis polylepis

10–20% · With luck

Puff Adder

Bitis arietans

10–20% · With luck

Mozambique Spitting Cobra

Naja mossambica

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

African Split-skin Toad

Schismaderma carens

20–30% · Possible

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog

Chiromantis xerampelina

10–20% · With luck

Senegal Kassina

Kassina senegalensis

Insufficient data

Red-Banded Rubber Frog

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

Insufficient data

Common River Frog

Amietia delalandii

Insufficient data

Painted Reed Frog

Hyperolius marmoratus

Insufficient data

African Clawed Frog

Xenopus laevis

Insufficient data

African Common Toad

Sclerophrys gutturalis

Insufficient data

Garman's Toad

Sclerophrys garmani

Insufficient data

Fenoulhet's Toad

Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦌

Dry Season Predator Activity

JunSepOct

Sparse foliage and dry conditions optimize visibility, allowing expert trackers to spot elusive leopards resting in riverine trees alongside hippopotamus pods crowded in diminishing pools.

Common Hippopotamus

Hippopotamus amphibius

50–60% · Likely

Leopard

Panthera pardus

30–40% · Possible

🐸

Rains and Amphibian Breeding

JanNovDec

The arrival of summer rains transforms the crater floor into lush greenery, triggering explosive choruses and breeding activity from African split-skin toads and grey foam-nest treefrogs.

African Split-skin Toad

Schismaderma carens

20–30% · Possible

Grey Foam-nest Treefrog

Chiromantis xerampelina

10–20% · With luck

🦌

Peak Grazing and Herbivore Gathering

AprMayJun

As the dry season sets in, vast herds of impala and blue wildebeest congregate heavily around shrinking waterholes and open grasslands, drawing opportunistic predators.

Impala

Aepyceros melampus

50–60% · Likely

Blue Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

50–60% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

African Bush Elephant

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

White Rhinoceros

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

Grey Go-Away-Bird

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

80–90

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

Natal Francolin

50–60

40–50

50–60

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

Helmeted Guineafowl

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

Fork-tailed Drongo

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

Southern Giraffe

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

Blacksmith Lapwing

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

40–50

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

Cape Turtle Dove

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

40–50

30–40

50–60

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

Animal Events

🦌 Dry Season Predator Activity

🐸 Rains and Amphibian Breeding

🦌 Peak Grazing and Herbivore Gathering

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ World-class

🐘 Elephants Thrive in Pilanesberg

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

534

🐒 Mammals

139

🦎 Reptiles

93

🐸 Amphibians

29

795 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

31 Threatened 12 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Excellent

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

64%

📊

Coverage (236 species at ≥5% of 795 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

30%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 4 mammal)

47% Global avg

59%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

164

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

35

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

38

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