Bakubung
And the PILANSBERG RESERVE
1
Introduction
We celebrated John’s 74th birthday with a return visit to Bakubung Bush Lodge in the Pilanesberg National Park. It’s a two-hour drive from Midstream via Rustenburg with mostly good roads.
Bakubung
We stayed in one of the clean, pleasant and well-furnished hotel rooms on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis. There are also self-catering chalets, and luxury villas.
Bakubung
The restaurant food is good and buffetstyle, and the water hole in front of the lodge is great for viewing passing animals.
The staff were friendly and courteous. The lady at reception was quite happy to rearrange her booking schedule to change us to a ground floor room.
Our rate included a daily game drive and a bush braai. The game drives are well organised with pre-allocated seating.
4
4
The guides are very knowledgeable and make sure everyone can see the animals.
Pilanesberg
The lodge is situated right at the entrance to the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, which has healthy populations of lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo - Africa's "Big Five" - and most other large mammals of Southern Africa.
Pilanesberg
Situated in a dormant volcano, the 55 hectares of the park is home to over 7 000 animals, including zebra, hyena, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, antelope, springbok and many other types of Southern African buck, and 300 bird species.
Pilanesberg
The park offers the choice of self-drive tours or guided safari trips and you are guaranteed to see many of the wildlife species. A vast road network of over 200km – not always in the best condition –enables the visitor to explore this truly unique game reserve.
Elephants
The Pilanesberg has about 240 elephants and on both game drives we enjoyed ongoing elephant sightings, including mothers with their babies, and solitary bulls.
Elephants
Our guide told us that the number of elephants has grown beyond the ability of the park to support them. This in turn affects other animals and the overall biodiversity of the park and its landscapes.
Elephants
Rather than reduce the elephant herd through culling, the Park is using contraception to stabilise the Pilanesberg elephant population.
Lions
We were fortunate to spot prides of lions on both our game drives. Pilanesberg is home to between 60 and 70 lions.
Lions
A pride consists of 5 or 6 females, their cubs and one male. Males in the park rarely live past 10 years of age, due to rivalry and fights with other males. A male lion’s roar can be heard 8km away.
Lions
Lionesses do most of the hunting. Prey consists of wildebeest, zebras, impalas, buffalo and warthogs.
Rhinoceros
Pilanesberg has established itself as a stronghold for both African rhino species: the black and the white rhinoceros.
Rhinoceros
The curious creature is among the largest land mammals and is easily recognized by the two horns on its large head.
Pilanesberg
Although many Midstreamers prefer the Kruger National Park, we think that the Pilanesberg Game Reserve wins on points, being closer to Johannesburg and Pretoria than the Kruger Park; located in a malariafree area; with excellent game viewing and bird watching; and affordable quality accommodation for local and international tourists.
