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A few years ago my familly and I went to KNP.
We entered at Orpen.
We were there at 5 and the gates only opened at 6 so we had to wait there in front of the gate.
I had to go to the toilet and my father took me to a tree next to the gate.
When we drove in lions were lION(lying) in the road not even 50 meters from the gate!!
I never went to a tree again in front of the gate!!

Orpen Gate - Lion at the Marula Camp turn - 1 km from gate

Numbi Gate - Lion Pride 2 km from gate

Paul Kruger - 12 wild dogs - 50m from gate

Crocodile Bridge - Lions about 2km from gate

My "best" sighting was Sable, about 2kms from the gate.
My daughter was joking with me.. she shouted, "look cows".
When I looked I saw a group of 9 Sable.
It was shortly after a serious fire in the area.
Had there not been the fire, we would never have seen them.

August 2008 At dawn while waiting to enter at Phalaborwa we saw a massive black "thing" breaking off branches and muching away on it. Elephant.

Some amazing sightings guys...Its brilliant to relive the experiences through others eyes and thoughts.

My family and I have seen many things at man different gates but the most memorable was when my wife went to the loo at Paul Kruger and as quick as she went in she came out just as quick as there was a massive snake going inside too.
Turned out to be a puff adder, the reception guys got it and put it into the bush, but in private so it could still go to the loo...

Set up the trip perfectly.

Not nearly as spectacular as some of the above posts, but:

Last year we were about to exit at Paul Kruger Gate and I was driving. I thought "That's a really nice bronze statue, I haven't seen it before". Then my brain clicked into gear, and I realised it was a real (huge) elephant in the flower bed island near the toilets!!

We have, on several occasions, seen huge breeding herds of elephant in the river below the bridge at Paul Kruger Gate. Also seen buffalo there.

Quite a few years ago, we were just entering the KNP at Crocodile Bridge and less than 500m from the gate into the Park, there were Wild Dogs. ?We followed them on the road for about 40 minutes - they weren't hunting, just playing around.

Like others, we've seen buffalo in the river near the low-level bridge.

Malelane gate is good for animals.
Twice now had leopards around the reception area (in the marked parking space area), frequently ellies there, and warties and impalas too.
Lions often not too far from the gate.
In fact I have seen the big 5 in one trip between the gate and the BnD turning (2km!)

I saw a LIT about 30 from the Numbi gate once,
a Lion on the bridge at kruger gate, and at camps,
6 wilddogs in front of Skukuza,
a lion kill a mere ten metres from the gate,
a leopard more or less at the same spot a year or so earlier,
At PK gate, we had to chase off a herd of ellie three years ago who wanted to come in and you will not believe me, but the same day, a goat on the grass between the shop and restaurant

Saw Wild Dog just inside the Malelane gate as we were about to leave. Elephant and lion a few meters from the Croc Bridge gate as welll as a family of warthogs who regularly tried to sneak into camp when the petrol attendant was not looking. A cheetah and two cubs close to the Maroela turnoff near Orpen gate. (Was actually the first animals we saw on that visit).





Now after telling you all this, Kruger is really calling and we only got back two weeks ago.

The baas and I entered through Orpen gate last September.
After checking in, I went to the toilet while he went to sort out his camera gear at the car.
When I came out he was raving about the fact that he hadn't got the camera set up quick enough as 3 lionesses had just walked calmly though the car park within 30 meters of him.
He had been standing at the back of the X-Trail when a worker had quietly told him to stand still and not make a sound.
They had melted back into the bush by the time I got out the loo

About 50m inside Numbi Gate, white rhinos crossing the road, but not allowing cars to pass. Stood their ground for about 20 mins.
LIT - 1km from Melalane gate and then a herd of ellies walking across the road right under the tree where leopard was lying.
Croc Bridge - pride of lions lying scattered around but then gathering themselves together and walking accross the road in front of our car.
Leaving Kruger Gate an elephant walking across the grass past Kruger statue and onto the road also in front of us (took my breath away I got such a skrik).

My sister was still pretty small, probably about 3 or 4 years old when we entered through Paul Kruger gate, we hardly started driving when she said there is a lion, we all thought, yeah, here we go, but nevertheless my dad reversed and would you believe, a beautiful male lion walking out of the bush in full view! (not sure how my mom missed it sitting in front next to my dad though !)

On 2nd of Jan this year saw a leopard between the two boom gates at Orpen Gate.

More recent: LIT approximately 1km from Malelane Gate. Black Mamba at Phalaborwa Gate a few meters from the gate on the road to Letaba. Lion on the first dirt road after entering at Punda Maria Gate.