December 2025

Kruger National Park

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Kruger National Park: December 2025

After the good rains and under long, sun-soaked days, life surges back into every corner of the landscape. Butterflies flit from flower to flower, flashes of colour riding the warm air, while dung beetles move determinedly across the road, rolling their prizes with tireless focus. Spiderwebs stretch across tracks and pathways, newly spun and glowing in the morning light, and cicadas fill the air with their relentless, electric chorus. Everywhere you look, listen, or step, the bush is alive - loud, busy, and overflowing. It’s a full sensory overload, and December wastes no time reminding you of it.
A Sightings Snapshot for December follows:
Lions
When the prides have been on the property, the viewing has been excellent.
  • It appears that the Shish Pride has moved outside of our concession for the festive period. To date, only two members of the pride have been observed. On several occasions, they were accompanied by the younger male with the distinctive mohawk-shaped mane. Since his arrival, his mane has noticeably grown thicker and fuller, which is consistent with increasing testosterone levels. This typically occurs when a previously solitary male joins or takes over a pride.
  • One of the younger Shish lionesses has warmed up to this younger mohawked male, and the pair were mating near the Sweni bird hide at the end of this month. So, if all goes well, we might be seeing the next generation of the Shish Pride just before autumn next year.
  • With the early (compared to 2024) and good rainfall, game has spread out across the area, as there’s no longer a need to gather around the last remaining waterholes. This has meant predators are having to range further in search of hunting opportunities. We’ve seen this with the Chava Pride. Now that Gudzane Dam isn’t the only reliable water source, they’ve shifted north and west out of our concession into the plains around the S100 and S90. Sightings have therefore been a bit less frequent this month, but when we have found them, we’ve been treated to some great views of the cubs being playful.
  • As the Chava Pride has moved north, the Mananga Pride has also started travelling further into our concession. Predator territories are fluid and constantly changing, influenced by weather patterns and pressure from other predators. The pride of 11 — four adults and seven cubs — was found as far north as the Xinkelegane fly camp. There is a hyena den-site just south of there, which is used intermittently when the local clan has cubs, on this occasion, the Mananga Pride encountered several clan members and chased them off, sending the hyenas fleeing with their tails tucked firmly underneath them.
  • The Sonop males have travelled far and wide, even seen one evening heading west on the H6. Interestingly, throughout the month we’ve only observed them in the company of the Mananga lionesses. This may be linked to the Chava Pride shifting further north and west, or perhaps because many of the Chava females currently have cubs — suggesting the males’ work there is done for now. With breeding opportunities driving their movements, it seems the Sonop males are once again on the search for new receptive females.
Leopards
  • Recently, we have noticed the absence of the Dumbana female, who was previously a regular and much-loved part of our leopard sightings. Based on her sudden disappearance and past behaviour, we believe she may have given birth and is now spending most of her time close to a chosen den-site. Newborn leopard cubs are extremely vulnerable, so a mother will avoid moving far from them during these early weeks. From her previous denning choices, it is most likely that she is in the Lebombo mountains, using rocky outcrops that unfortunately are inaccessible to vehicles. The good news is that leopard cubs grow quickly, and if all goes well, we can expect to start catching the first glimpses of them once they are around eight weeks old.
  • Leopard dynamics in the area have been slowly shifting over the past few months, largely due to the dispersal and possible territory changes involving the Mondzo male, Dumbana’s young males, and the Nyala female. As these familiar individuals have moved on or adjusted their ranges, new leopards have begun to fill the gaps left behind. Many of these newcomers seem to come from areas with very little vehicle traffic and are therefore not yet accustomed to being viewed, which has resulted in only brief, fleeting glimpses for now. With time and consistent exposure, however, we are confident they will become more relaxed around vehicles, and we can look forward to enjoying regular, high-quality sightings that reveal the daily comings and goings of these remarkable cats.
  • On Christmas morning we were treated to a special sighting of the Lebombo male leopard. Resting calmly and clearly full-bellied, he looked every bit like a predator who’d enjoyed a successful Christmas Eve dinner. It was a memorable way to start Christmas Day, spending time with one of the area’s most iconic residents, with the backdrop of the confluence of the N’wanetsi and Sweni Rivers.
African wild dogs
  • This month, the pack of nine African wild dogs - made up of three adults and six pups - has been spending most of its time in the southern part of our concession. With the pups growing and needing plenty of food, the pack appears to be taking full advantage of the seasonal abundance, particularly the newly born impala lambs.
Elephants
  • Elephant sightings were a true highlight this month, with extraordinary numbers drawn to the concession’s basalt plains after the recent burn. The flush of long, green grass has clearly been irresistible. One guest perfectly captured the scene, laughing that the elephants’ trunks looked like they were grabbing a handful of spaghetti—twisting the grass together and stuffing it into their mouths in one efficient motion.
  • On one unforgettable afternoon, we counted more than 200 elephants visible to the naked eye at once, spread across the plains, calmly feeding and moving through the landscape.
Spotted hyenas
  • This month’s spotted hyena sightings at Singita KNP have been a real treat. We’ve seen the usual lone hyenas moving through the bush, and at times small groups appearing quietly just after sunset or in the early light of sunrise. The highlight, though, has been the den along the H6. Several large females are using the culvert under the road as a den, each with cubs of different ages, which has given us some wonderful viewing. The cubs’ playful nature and natural curiosity as they pop out of the den and investigate passing vehicles with open curiosity never fails to charm guests, and their behaviour has truly melted the hearts of everyone who has shared these moments with us.
Buffalos
  • With the arrival of the rains, the landscape has changed rapidly, and the grass has grown thick and tall across the plains. This sudden abundance of fresh grazing has allowed the large buffalo herds to disperse, splitting into smaller groups and spreading out over a much wider area. As a result, buffalo are no longer concentrated around the usual open areas and water sources, making them harder to locate. Consequently, we have recorded fewer buffalo sightings this month, not due to a decline in numbers, but because the herds are more widely scattered and well concealed by the lush vegetation.
Plains game
  • December on the plains has been full of life and movement. We’re seeing plenty of wildebeest calves and impala lambs around, all taking advantage of the good grazing after the rains. The herds look relaxed and in great condition, with lots of youngsters keeping close to their mothers. Kudu are looking particularly good at the moment, with bright, clean white stripes standing out clearly – always a great sign of overall health. The plains game have started to disperse more widely; while many are still drawn to the green carpets on the areas burnt in July, they’re now spreading out and making use of a much broader range as grazing improves across the landscape.
Rare animals and other sightings
  • After many months without a sighting, we were finally rewarded with an encounter with two male cheetahs near Sonop Waterhole. Shortly after arriving, they climbed onto a fallen tree to scan the surrounding area before moving off to find some shade, where they settled in for the rest of the day. Cheetah numbers remain low in the area, largely due to competition with larger predators, the loss of suitable open habitat, and the high mortality of cubs. As a result, sightings are always special and never guaranteed.
  • Adding to our list of seldom-seen cats, some lucky guests were treated to sightings of both a serval and an African wildcat. Although neither species is especially rare, their secretive nature and the current long grass make them difficult to spot, turning these sightings into real highlights.
  • A white-tailed mongoose poked his head out of the grass one evening, only to quickly turn and dart away from us. What he didn’t notice was a small herd of impala just a few metres away. He suddenly stood upright in surprise, his long body lifting his head high above the grass, while the impala stared him down as the spotlight swept over him.
Birds
  • Birding this month has been just as rewarding, with a good mix of seasonal visitors and breeding activity. White storks are being seen regularly, taking advantage of the productive wetlands and open areas. A few thick-billed weavers have settled in around the bridge, taking advantage of the tall reeds, that they use to build their wonderfully woven nests between. A Marico sunbird was observed feeding a diederik cuckoo, a great reminder of the clever brood-parasitic strategies at play this time of year, more of this in the wildlife article by Sean that follows.
  • Adding to the atmosphere, ground hornbills have been vocalising frequently, right in the heart of their breeding season and making their presence well known across the landscape.