Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Philip is author of the Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa.

Sabi Sand Game Reserve offers excellent wildlife viewing. This is especially true of the big cats. All of the Big Five are usually seen in a two to three-day visit. Off-road driving assures quality sightings, particularly of the habituated resident predators. Sabi Sand is part of the vast Greater Kruger ecosystem, which makes for a very authentic wildlife experience.

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

HippoCommon

BuffaloCommon

ZebraCommon

WildebeestCommon

White RhinoOccasional

Black RhinoVery Rare

LionCommon

LeopardCommon

CheetahCommon

HyenaCommon

Wild DogRare

Wildlife Highlights

Sabi Sands is possibly the best place in Africa to see leopard. Both the quantity and quality of sightings is superb. This is a place where you can see leopard behavior such as males marking and patrolling their territory or females interacting with their cubs. Wild dog sightings are less common, but if they are denning in the area, it is often possible to spend time with these social pack animals.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in Sabi Sands is very good throughout the year but perhaps at its best during the Dry season (June to September). August and September are particularly nice since it is warmer than in mid-winter and animals tend to gather at water sources, making them easier to spot.