4 Day Pilanesberg Family Safari Vacation

Pilanesberg National Park

You’ll enjoy two exciting guided game drives daily. Humans have occupied the mountainous Pilanesberg region since the Middle Stone Age, and many artifacts from that period have been found throughout the Park. Hunter-gatherers roamed the area well before the first Setswana-speaking people settled there, as cattle and grain farmers during the 18th century. The reserve is in fact named after a Tswana chief, Pilane. Prior to its establishment as a park in 1979, Pilanesberg was intensely farmed, resulting in a degraded environment depleted of indigenous wildlife. At considerable expense, the land was purchased, the scars of human settlement removed, and the new reserve restocked. At the time, it constituted the largest and most expensive game re-stocking and land rehabilitation project ever undertaken in Africa. More than 6 000 head of game were introduced from various other reserves (like the Kruger Park) during the ‘Operation Genesis’ wildlife translocation program. With wildlife resources rapidly declining in many developing countries in Africa, Pilanesberg National Park is one of the few areas where this trend has been reversed. Today Pilanesberg is home to a wide variety of African animals including lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, black and white rhino, Cape buffalo, hippo, crocodile and brown hyena. A recent African wild dog introduction program has been initiated. At least 360 species of birds have been recorded. Your game drives (two daily) take place during periods of increased wildlife activity – during the early morning and late afternoon and evening. The remainder of your day may be spent enjoying the creature comforts of your accommodations.