Ten things not to do in the Kruger Park

A trip to the Kruger National Park can be one of the most wonderful experiences of your life, but can also quickly turn to tragedy. Here are a few things you should rather avoid doing during your visit to the park.

Don’t:

1. Feed the animals

There is a good reason for this. Monkeys go crazy for food and will end up raiding your entire stash. They also tend to get quite violent to get what they want.

2. Hang out of a window

You can actually get a hefty fine for sticking any part of your body out of a vehicle while outside rest areas and camps. So resist the urge to climb onto the roof for a great photo or to hang out of the window for a cool selfie. You might just become prey for a predator.

3. Cycle or walk outside demarcated areas without a guide

Remember that epic video of the guy that gets run over by a buck while cycling? Point made. The animals in the Kruger also know where the tastiest tidbits gather (rest camps), so find out exactly where the safest place is to take you afternoon walk before heading out.

4. Play loud music

Animals aren’t fans of Slipknot, 50 van die beste Sokkie-treffers or Eminem. Especially when it’s being blasted over your speakers at full volume. This tends to disturb most species, including humans looking for a quiet weekend away from their noisy neighbours.

5. Start a fire

Besides lighting a fire in the braai area to cook food, you should rather avoid the possibility of burning down a part of South Africa’s natural heritage.

6. Bring your pet along

Don’t bring Fluffy or Socks along for the ride. Besides the fact that you’ll be fined or they could become a predator’s tasty snack, your poor pet (and the car’s passengers) won’t take kindly to being cooped up in the car for hours on end.

7. Speed

You’re supposed to be looking at the animals, not racing from one area to another. Speeding could result in colliding with an animal or a bus full of tourists taking pictures.

8. Play chicken with an elephant

This has turned out bad for so many people. Be sure to read up on the correct way to deal with elephants or, as a rule, just try to avoid getting too close.

9. See how close you can get for a photo

In December a couple of tourists were seriously hurt while trying to film an elephant. The video went viral and garnered much attention. It’s advisable to keep a large following distance when you see something (potentially dangerous) you want to photograph and to keep an eye on the animal’s behaviour.

10. Forget about your surroundings

Many people have come face to face (through a car window) with cheetahs, lions and giraffes and had a massive fright because they didn’t keep an eye on the animals. When approaching a group of animals, be aware of your surrounding and always keep your windows (and sunroof) closed.

Share your tips on things not to do in the comments or our facebook page.

Check out video collage of photos that illustrate how visitors disobey park rules here.