About the reserve
- If you are like me and grab every opportunity to get outdoors, then this will be good news for you. Just on the outside of Pretoria and not that far from Johannesburg, is this delightful gem called the Dinokeng Game Reserve.
- All of its 18 500 hectares form an important part of the Gauteng tourism palette. The reason why it is so important lies in the fact that it is the only area in the province where all of the Big 5 can be viewed in a free roaming set up. There are other parks in Gauteng but none offering you quite this.
- The Reserve is predominantly Bushveld but Karoo sediments also occur in the form of sandstone and mudstone.
1. Elephant
- The reserve is small and cannot sustain many animals let alone large mammals such as elephants. There is however one herd and if you are in any doubt
as to their presence, just look around you and you will notice the
destruction of the trees as they strip bark, leaves, and break branches. Elephants love Marula fruit and there are many Marula trees in the Reserve.
- Read more about elephants and their behavior by clicking on this link.
2. Lion
- The fist lion arrived in Dinokeng at the end of 2011. These animals were collared and it was a sad day when the collar of one of the males was found on the
outside of the reserve. The lion population is small, 13 individuals only, and there were just the two males of which one is now gone. The reason for his disappearance is not known.
Good to know however, is that a number of young have already been born to the
pride.
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| Male lion |
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| New arrivals in Dinokeng |
3. Leopard
- The number of leopard in the Reserve is not known but they are
definitely present and the keen visitor might just be lucky and spot the elusive cat.
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| Leopard |
4. Buffalo
- There is enough water is the reserve to
keep the buffaloes happy. They can be seen at a favorite spot at specific times
of the day.
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| Buffalo settling in after arrival |
5. Rhino
- Rhino poaching is a sensitive issue and the
number of rhino in the reserve is not advertised. As it is, a rhino has already been killed there.
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| Rhino |
6. Other animals:
- Apart from the Big 5, the reserve also has
hippo, blue wildebeest, giraffe, and crocodile. Antelope species are kudu,
eland, hartebeest, waterbuck, tsessebe, zebra, impala, and gemsbok. Smaller
animals to look out for are serval, aardvark, the fiery caracal, warthog, civet
and jackal. Birders will be kept busy with identifying the 300 species of birds that
have been spotted in the reserve.
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| The Reserve also has cheetahs |
7. Proximity to major centra Pretoria and
Johannesburg
- The Dinokeng Game Reserve is a mere hour or
half an hour from the major cities of Johannes burg and Pretoria. So, for the
businessman with a little time to spare, a quick visit to see the Big Five
is entirely possible.
- Dinokeng is away from the city lights and
the night skies are ideal for stargazing. Either look up to the sky yourself if you have a
telescope or otherwise inquire about stargazing nights.
- 9. Activities:
- This is not all hard work and no play; for
those with excess adrenaline there are a number of activities to work it off. Cyclists can tackle the cycling safaris offered and others can get onto a quad-biking and ride along the dirt roads. For the more passive visitor, take a leisurely ride in a
hot air balloon. Horse-back
riding is a must and if this is something you enjoy, you would not be disappointed.
A self-drive route was opened in December 2014 and anything from a sedan to 4x4 can be used.
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| Hot air balloon |
Accommodation:
- The reserve is in essence a reserve in
private ownership as the land of various land owners have been combined to form
the reserve. On their individual properties, visitors will find a variety of
accommodation types like lodges and camping facilities as well as spas and restaurants. This is an excellent setting for conferencing or team
building and these options are available.
- If you are planning a trip to Dinokeng, phone in advance and make sure you know how the system works. Overnight stays in lodges or hotels will bring the animals to your doorstep as the animals roam in the vicinity of the all the establishments. Otherwise, if you are a day visitor, book a trip on their wildlife route and make the best of a day in the bush. Tshokwalo Lodge offers chalets and camping and Tamboti Bush Lodge offers suites, log cabins, a honeymoon suite, and game drives. Mongena caters for weddings.
- Phone Dinokeng directly on 0861 346 653 or phone the lodges directly if you want to book a visit.
- Website: http://www.dinokengreserve.co.za/
