Pretoriuskop Rest Camp

Flora and Fauna

Mammals

The chance of seeing small herds of sable, eland and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest make Pretoriuskop a special destination.

Black and white rhino, buffalo and elephant can be seen on the loop roads around the camp. The numerous rocky outcrops should be searched for rock hyrax, klipspringer, oribi and red duiker (these two latter species though difficult to find are more or less restricted to this part of the Kruger National Park).

A visit to the Mestel Dam can produce hippopotamus, while a stop at the Shitlhave Dam can produce reedbuck. On the carnivore front, wild dog are frequently recorded in the area and, despite the dense grass, so are cheetah. Spotted hyena and leopard should also be searched for.

Vegetation

Pretoriuskop is in an area of thick vegetation, tall grass and unpalatable sour veld. Only below the drainage line is there quality sweeter grass. for grazers. The most dominant tree is the silver cluster-leaf. In the camp itself there are some fine examples of Natal mahogany, marula and sycamore fig.

(For more birding information and park bird checklist, go to Information for Birders)