Explore South Eastern Kruger Park

There's more chance of seeing the Big Five in the south-east of the Park than just about anywhere else in Kruger. Water is available all year round from the two main rivers of southern Kruger - the Sabie and the Crocodile. The basalt underlying the grasslands retains water in pans long after the rains have gone, and supports a sweet grassveld favoured by grazers.

Game Viewing Routes in South East Kruger Park

About the South East
Crocodile Bridge Gate
Crocodile Bridge to Lower Sabie
Crocodile Bridge to Malelane
Crocodile Bridge to Skukuza
Lower Sabie Nhlowa Road
Lower Sabie to Skukuza
Lower Sabie to Tshokwane
The Biyamiti Area

See Kruger Park South East Self-drive Map

©Warthog wallowing. Photo: Michael Poliza

Habitat Pointers

Thorn thickets along the lower contours of the river valleys
Open grasslands around Lower Sabie
Lebombo foothills in the Mpanamana Concession
Mixed bushwillow and acacia woodlands north of Biyamiti
Pockets of fine riverine bush along the Sabie River

The lowest point in Kruger is where the Sabie River cuts through the Lebombo (120m) range and enters Mozambique. The south-east is hot and dry, with less rainfall (300mm pa) than the Park average (650mm pa).

Malaria is a concern during summer.

Crocodile Bridge Gate Explorer Options

The Gomondwane Road to Lower Sabie (H4-2); 34km; 1,5 hours; tar road; thorn thickets give way to open grassland around Lower Sabie; animal sightings traditionally good;
The alternative road to Skukuza via Randspruit (H4-2; H5, S114); 68km; 3 hours; mostly dust road; thorn thickets into mixed woodlands; game viewing is a gamble but you may strike it lucky;
Crocodile River Road to Biyamiti (S25); 26km; 1 hour; dust road; thorn thickets into mixed woodland, good birding and itinerant game viewing;
Nhlowa Road to Lower Sabie (S28); 28km; 1 hour; dust road; open savanna grassland with good views over the Lebombo; usually good for grazers and excellent for birding.

Ancient Animals

Rhinos and crocodiles go back a long time. A common ancestor to the rhinos one sees today has been traced back to 50 million years ago. African rhinos evolved from the Asian lineage approximately 10 million years ago.

The black rhino (Diceros bicornis) is more primitive than the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum), which separated ancestral pathways approximately four to 5 million years ago.

Rhinos have passed their evolutionary peak and survive only in protected areas. The crocodile has a much older ancestry. Its origins lie in the archaesaurs approximately 200 million years ago. Crocodiles, in their present evolutionary state, survived the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.