Fauna & Flora

Be amazed by the diversity of fauna and flora abundant in this area.The Pilanesberg National Park, in which Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge is privileged to be situated, offers guests sightings of a wide diversity of animal and plant life including 360 species of birds, the Big Five and almost every type of animal found in Southern Africa.

Operation Genesis, which involved the game-fencing of the reserve and the reintroduction of long-vanished species, began during the late1970s. The park exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as 'bushveld'. Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone.

Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul, and camel thorn trees usually found in arid areas are found cohabiting with moist-area-limited impala, black eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees. The park has a rich array of southern African wildlife including the Big Five and most of the animal species found in southern Africa. These include lions, elephants, white and black rhinos, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, hyenas, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. The only indigenous southern African mammals that are not found in the Pilanesberg National Park are bontebok, blesbuck, spotted hyena, nyala and roan antelope.

The bird life diversity is excellent with in excess of 360species. Though some are migrants, most others are permanent inhabitants. Their food sources vary with some eating carrion or live prey, while others eat seeds, fruit or tiny water organisms.