Rare & Elusive Mammals of South Africa 11-Day Tour

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Durban – Zululand – Maloti Mountains – Kimberley – Hanover – Beaufort West – George

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​Scheduled Dates:  20 − 29 April 2024

02 − 11 October 2024

Or alternate date on request.

 

Introduction:

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This guided rare mammal safari tour package with Sustain will lead you to some extraordinary destinations within South Africa, including 6 unique reserves renowned for amazing rare and shy mammal sightings. The tour will focus on optimizing your chances of encounters with these highly sought-after animals, as well as many other species of game, rare and endemic birds and all other manner of biodiversity.

 

On this rare mammal safari you can expect to see a good number of the shy and cryptic species that some people only dream of. The tour has strategically selected certain key destinations within South Africa that provide some of the very best chances for discovering these treasures in the time available. In addition, probabilities are good for discovering the Big 5 and a multitude of other diverse wildlife and birdlife.

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The route caters to a large mammal list in excess of 65 species, with a very good hit rate on many of the rare species. The bird list is also very impressive, totaling over 600 species in the region we tour through, and we can expect to find over 270 of these species (including many raptors, owls and endemics).

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This safari commences at King Shaka International Airport in Durban, and ends at George International Airport in the Western Cape.

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Target rare mammals:

Aardvark, pangolin, honey badger, black-footed cat, aardwolf, caracal, serval, striped weasel, striped polecat, bat-eared fox, suricate, fox, black rhino, wild dog, cheetah, brown hyena, cape porcupine, hedgehog, civet, spotted-necked otter, cape clawless otter, side-striped jackal, elephant shrew (sengi), african wild cat, suni, oribi, roan, smith's red rock rabbit, large grey mongoose, sloggett's ice rat, etc.

 

Habitats:

Each destination we visit en-route offers unique habitats, extraordinary scenery, and breath-taking beauty, providing you with fantastic photographic opportunities. Habitats we explore include woodlands, savanna, wetlands, grassland, mountains and cliffs, scrubland, and rocky slopes, which host numerous regional endemics, threatened and endangered mammal and bird species, as well as great floral diversity.

 

We explore:

• The verdant bushveld region of Zululand at Manyoni Private Game Reserve for 2 nights,

• The lush grasslands and glowing mountains around Spionkop Nature Reserve and Golden Gate Highlands National Park for 2 night,

• The harsher grasslands and savanna of Marrick Safari and Mokala National Park for 2 nights,

• The stark Karoo landscapes at Khoisan Karoo Conservancy for 2 nights, and

• The dramatic Karoo mountain ranges and valleys of Karoo National Park for the final 2 nights, before descending the extraordinary mountain pass to the evergreen coastal town of George.

 

Accommodation: On the accommodation front we typically use very comfortable private lodges and national park resorts, but should you prefer, at an added cost, luxury lodging options can also be arranged.

 

Tour tempo: The tempo of our Rare Mammal Tours are typically medium-paced, with optional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days). If you are a keen photographer, well so are we, and we can offer many opportunities to capture the moments that will make you the envy of your wildlife-watching friends.

 

Safari highlights include:

• Experience pangolin monitoring and open vehicle Big 5 night and day game drives in the abundant and exclusive Manyoni Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal.

• Explore the breath-taking and dramatic Drakensberg and Maloti Mountains.

• Discover rare nocturnal predators on the productive night drives and sengi tours at Marrick Safari, as well as a day drive in Mokala National Park, Northern Cape.

• Search for the Shy 5 mammals and other delights on open vehicle drives at the charming Khoisan Karoo Conservancy, Northern Cape.

• Encounter a multitude of endemic and special bird species, and expect to see over 350 bird species, as well as many reptiles, amphibians and all manner of biodiversity,

 

Expected weather conditions: Subtropical and mostly hot during the day in the summer, and cooler in the evenings, with a chance of mist. Rain is possible, usually in the form of summer convection thunderstorms, and cool wet weather is possible in the event of a cold front moving up from the south. On a climate level, the region falls in the summer rainfall region, with an average rainfall of between 500mm and 1,100mm per year. Temperatures range from -8˚C in winter, to an average maximum of 18˚C and an average minimum of 10˚C. The driest month is July, the most rainfall falls in January, and the warmest is in February.

 

Optional extension: An optional tour extension is available to also include:

• Garden Route to Cape Town – a 2-day continuation from George along the gorgeous Cape south coast to the world admired city of Cape Town.

• Kruger National Park and Blyde River Canyon – add several days by exploring the iconic Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon, by proceeding from northern KwaZulu-Natal through Eswatini.

 

Please note: this set-departure tour is also available as a private or custom tour on request. Please submit an enquiry with your preferred dates and group size.

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