October 27

The Natural Cycle of the Kruger National Park’s Seasons: 2016 Drought Explained

October 27, 2016

The Byrds weren’t the first to say it, but maybe they said it best.

Their lyric, To everything there is a season, comes from their 1960s song Turn! Turn! Turn!, which posits that there is a time and place for all things.

South Africa’s iconic game reserve, the Kruger National Park, is a perfect example of this. As is often the case in the natural world, there is an ebb and flow to the rhythm of the park’s life and climate. There are heat waves and rains, droughts and floods, arrivals and departures, life and death.

In 2016, the pendulum has swung the way of drought for the Kruger. While this means the landscapes will be browner and drier than normal and the vegetation bare, it does have a fascinating effect on the wildlife. Due to the drought, animals tend to congregate much more around the major water sources and game viewing and predator activity can be excellent as a result.

A drought can draw animals to interact differently
Photo Credit: Londolozi Game Reserve

We caught up with Rich Laburn from Londolozi Game Reserve to find out more. He explained, “Drought represents a harsh but natural process in nature’s cycles and patterns. Here at Londolozi this dry spell has presented many unique and fascinating sightings which our guests have witnessed. Predator viewing has been particularly noteworthy as animals congregate close to the Sand River seeking foliage and water. Interactions between lions and buffalos, lions and hyenas as well as territorial hippos have been abundant whilst a plethora of summer migrants have made the reserve a birders paradise.

“Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the drought is witnessing many of the blooms that are on display owing to the dry conditions. While to the human eye the drought looks harsh and devastating, in nature everything has its place and season.”

Turn, turn, turn. 

 


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About the author 

Matthew Sterne

Matt discovered a passion for writing in the six years he spent travelling abroad. He worked for a turtle sanctuary in Nicaragua, in an ice cream factory in Norway and on a camel safari in India. He was a door-to-door lightbulb-exchanger in Australia, a pub crawl guide in Amsterdam and a journalist in Colombia. Now, he writes and travels with us.

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