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My very first sighting way back in the early 80's on our first visit to Kruger was a large Warthog in the road and I got such a fright I wound the window up quickly!
Have never been allowed to forget that.
Fortunately I have come a long way since then.

The memory of my first sighting on my first visit as an 11 yr old boy is a herd of elephant crossing the old Phalaborwa/Letaba main road (nowadays die S131) at Ngwenyeni borehole and a few roan antelope drinking at the same trough. Since that visit (1965) I have seen hundreds (if not thousands) of elephant during all my visits. But I have only seen roan on two occasions again.

My folks were Kruger addicts back in the old days.
My Mom used to tell the stories of how they used to pack the old farm truck with everything including the kitchen sink and "migrate" to the Kruger for a month or 2 at a stretch.
Apparently she was pregnant with me on the one trip in 1949 and they had a run in with an elephant who made a lovely round hole in the fender of the truck with his tusk.
She swears that this is how I got my love for elephants.
Now I know that this was not a true sighting on my part, but the first one I remember was at the age of 4 or 5, guess what..... an elephant that seemed to be able to touch the sky ( they all seemed soo much bigger then )

I remember the first time I went to the Kruger I was 7 years old and all I wanted to see was a lion.
I begged my parents to let me see a lion.
I whispered the whole trip there "I wanna see a lion I wanna see a lion" finally we saw a pride of four.
I was so happy and I remember it like it happened yesterday.
I love the Kruger.

My first trip to Kruger was not as a child, but was over 30 years ago!!!

Almost the first thing we saw was this lovely duo!!!

Your first sighting was a special one vgstephens.

I was too small to remember my first sighting in kruger (about 2years old)

But I Remember when I was about 6, my dad had parked our caravelle right next to a tree so that my mum could feed my sister, brother and I breakfast in the car.
Dad's window was opened and all of a sudden at that very tree about a metre away from the window a leopard, which we never even noticed was there when we stopped, woke up and started descending slowly, pausing every few seconds to give us awesome photo opportunity.
Sadly digital cameras never existed that time, so I have only hard copies.
But that particular sighting will ALWAYS remain imprinted in my mind.

My very first trip 2 1/2 yrs ago we entered first thing at Phabeni and saw nothing upto the turn off to Pretoriuskop.
After about 1k, we stopped to watch a rhino on our left , after about 10 mins trying to get a good photo through the scrub, I was just about to set off when a wild dog came out of the bush 100mts ahead soon followed by 3 others.
They started running towards us and in no time they were gone.
I got a few blurred shots as the light was poor but we saw dogs 3x in the 4 days we were there on that first visit.

In 4 visits, we have seen dogs on all but the last trip last Sept.

Hi guys,

This is literally my first post on the forum, so why not make it "literally (about) my first sighting"!

It was the first time I had ever visited South Africa - being an Aussie I was simply in AWE of the Kruger Park.
I had heard so much about the Kruger Park, but still was very naive about what it really was all about... didn't realise how early I had to wake up, about afternoon naps, and staple diet of bbq's (now, I call it a braai!)

So, my first sighting was as we just entered Phalaborwa gate (after seeing elephant poop and taking pictures of this!)- and I was snapping away like crazy - at a heard of impala!
I could not figure out why the people I was with (South Africans, who have been visiting the park for decades) found my fascination so amusing!
During that trip, I spent 3 nights in the park - and I was hooked!

Since that first trip, I have moved to South Africa - and I must say that the Kruger Park is what has really made me fall in love with this country (a fella has something to do with this too - but that's another story for another day !).

I have visited the park at least 7 times (have lost count!) and the most adrenaline pumping sight I have seen have been a cheetah chase and kill (wow!) on the Phabeni road one overcast December morning in 2007 - which was my first trip to Kruger after moving to South Africa - and I must confess I have become a Kruger junkie ever since!
I have been spoiled with lots more amazing sightings too.

Australia is a beautiful country, and will always be home, but I'm happy to call South Africa my second home.

This was our welcoming party to greet us at crock bridge, our first Kruger sighting



Croc Bridge Gate

On a cold August morning in 2006.
Still waiting in the cue at Phalaborwa gate (the old one) there was an ellie just inside the gate munching away at the leaves of the branches he broke of the trees.
He was just a big black silhouette in the rising sun.

Hi Guys,

I've had the fortune of seeing buffaloes as a first sighting as I entered Malelane gate over the bridge.

Same scene repeated itself at Paul Kruger gate entrance over the bridge buffs feeding in the reeds and some just resting on the islands between.

Also inside the park proper at the Malelane entrance I happened upon an elephant as my first sighting just feeding off the road on another occasion.

This April I entered via Phabeni gate and just as you exit the booms into the park proper on your right hand side there seems to be a sort of dry river bed.
Lucky to see a herd of elephants feeding here as my 1st sighting

But my most memorable first sighting will have to be April 2008.
Travelling alone from Joburg I was pushed for time just to make it to the park before gate closing time.
I was booked in at Pretoriuskop and headed for Numbi gate.
Made it I think literally under 10 mins before gate closing time.

Being winter it gets dark fairly quickly.
By the time I had finished up all the paperwork at the gate and a stop to the loo etc it was really dark - nightfall.
So approached reception and asked that am I going to be escorted to camp and to my surprise I was told no its fine you can go by yourself.
Always thought that once its dark you need to be escorted.
Maybe they were short staffed I don't know :huh:

Nonetheless I was thrilled to be going alone as I know from previous experience when you escorted you can't really stop for a sighting.
So I kept by fingers crossed and headed into the park.

I must admit it is eerie and disorienting driving around alone in complete darkness with not a single vehicle to be seen.
By now all day visitors were out of the park.

I excitedly continued hoping that maybe I will get to see at least something.
A few hundred metres before the S10 junction I had seen eye shine ahead having had my brights on.
Not expecting much more than an impala I approached slowly and switched off my brights.

There it lay sleeping in the road.
I could not believe my eyes.
Relaxed without a care in the world. A young female LEOPARD !!!
She just sat there looking at me.
I scrambled around for the camera but realised it was in the boot and just sat back and enjoyed the sighting.

I watched her for about 3 minutes after which I decided to angle the car so as to have more light on her.
This was her cue to move off.
She got up and melted into the long grass.

But left me with a memory that will stay with me for along time

My first sighting as a child in Kruger was of the graceful Impalas. To this day I just cannot drive past or ignore them, my first impression of them was just too pleasant. After that we saw baboons monkeying around and for a child well … lots of this

I don`t know how old I was... probably 3 or 4..

But I remember the wild dogs just outside the gate of Pretoriuskop.. And a Kudu in the camp..with the biggest horns!!

When I met my SO almost 37 years ago I didn't know the difference between an impala and a lion, SO made it his mission to educate me and took me to Kruger. Armed with a book on all the animal types found in Kruger, a note book and pen, we drove into Kruger at numbi gate.

The very first animal we saw was a lion and of course I thought I was very clever to have identified it.

Talk about beginners luck!!!

At least now I am able to identify a few more animals than a lion

Can't say I remember the warthog Elsa, but I certainly do remember you hiding behind the map. The baboons and monkeys were you favourite!!!!

I think the first sighting I remember is of two cheetah on a log. No idea how old I was.