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The Kruger’s amazing BFFs: Unravelling animal relationships

Just like us, the extraordinary Kruger National Park animals get by with a little help from their friends!

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Home to 2,000 plant species, 500 different birds, and 147 species of mammals including the world-famous ‘Big 5’, the Kruger is home to a myriad of symbiotic relationships. With no shortage of incredible wildlife wonders to see, there’s a reason why the Kruger is South Africa’s most celebrated safari destination.

Forget Pumbaa and Timon and behold some of the unique and essential animal relationships of the park’s lively ecosystems, that if you’re lucky you might see on a Kruger safari.

The indispensable and popular oxpecker

Oxpeckers are known to have a few astounding symbiotic relationships within the Kruger. These small parasitic birds form remarkable bonds with elephants, impalas, and rhinos. The cheeky red-beaked oxpeckers, named askari wa kifaru (the rhino’s guard) in Swahili, perch themselves on their mammal friends to feast on a buffet of ticks and parasites.

“Across picturesque open grasslands, woodlands, and riverine visitors can marvel at seeing the loud oxpecker’s grooming service in action – they’re like the animal spa therapists of the Kruger,” says Enock Mkansi, one of our talented safari guides.

The duty of the oxpecker doesn’t stop with ridding their friends of pests, these avian custodians are also especially helpful as unlikely security guards. Astonishingly research has revealed that the non-vocal black rhinos, one of the majestic endangered species in South Africa, can evade human detection with the help of oxpeckers in up to 50% of encounters. Researchers found that oxpeckers improved the rhinos’ human detection distance by nine meters, signalling that integrating more of these versatile birds with rhino populations could assist in a broader rhino safety approach.

It’s a spellbinding sensation when you hear these birds let out a loud screech on top of rhinos to warn of oncoming danger. Rhinos have weaker eyesight, and as such rely on other senses to stay safe, so once they hear this unmissable alert they know to get a move on and they almost always do.

A blended crowd

Within the tranquil Greater Kruger Conservancy, situated on the banks of the breathtaking Sabie River, the Kruger Gate Hotel is an idyllic setting to witness the integration of zebras and wildebeest. The two herbivorous grazers are known to band together and assemble hybrid herds. What makes the various symbiotic pairings in the Kruger brilliant is that these majestic animal friends make up for each other’s shortcomings.

“In this special alliance, the Kruger’s striking zebras are blessed with a sophisticated sense of sight, whereas their brawny wildebeest allies are gifted with superior hearing. The merging of these vital qualities safeguards the fused herds from predators and peril. Additionally, these brilliant animals make the perfect symbiotic pair at mealtime. During their joint grass dining in the enchanting Kruger bushveld, zebras eat the elevated grass first, with wildebeests relishing the shorter grass they leave behind,” Mkansi details.

Foraging friends

Along the sublime acacia country water holes of Lower Sabie, the Kruger National Park’s most common antelope, impalas, gather for short grass, a steady stream of water, and the chance to dine on the delicacy of sausage fruit. Just like their name suggests the sausage fruit is an elongated, thick-skinned, sausage-like berry that hangs from the sausage tree, and these agile ungulates are unable to reach for and eat the fruit on their own. Whilst you might be put off by your friend’s leftovers, impalas have no problem dining on the sausage fruit scraps of their baboon pals, because they can’t chew through the fruit’s tough skin on their own.

Impalas and baboons can be seen clustered together throughout the unspoiled wild Kruger terrain, and their relationship extends beyond nourishment needs. Their behaviour suggests that impalas could even feel safer around the chacma baboons! The park’s impalas spend far less time assessing their surroundings for danger, as they can identify their baboon companion’s calls signalling a predator.

Guest Reviews

Nice

Posted on 11/06/2025 by Google

I highly recommend this hotel. It is one of a kind. Feels like you are surrounded by bushes and wild animals but in actual fact its one of the safest places to go relax and revive.

Posted on 11/06/2025 by Google

I had an incredible three-night stay at Kruger Gate Hotel, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The rooms were spacious, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed, ensuring a restful retreat after days of exploration. The food was exceptional, offering a variety of delicious options that truly enhanced the experience.

The Viewing Deck was an absolute highlight—especially at night, where I had the surreal experience of seeing hyenas, hippos, impalas and elephant roaming nearby. It felt like an intimate connection with the wild, something you don’t often get in a hotel setting. To top it all off, we were treated to a private dining experience on our final night, set at the same breathtaking deck area.

This stay was nothing short of unforgettable, and I sincerely hope to return in the future. If you’re looking for a luxurious yet immersive safari experience, Kruger Gate Hotel is the perfect choice!

Posted on 10/06/2025 by Google

We stayed here for 4 nights a couple of days ago and can highly recommend it. It’s right on the edge of the park with a great view of the river and surrounding area inside the park. So you can basically watch elephants play in the water while relaxing at the pool with a drink. We even heard a lion roar at night, so you are just in the middle of nature. All the rooms are split over the premises, so it never feels crowded. The rooms were nice, spacious and clean.
We did one full-day guided safari, which was super helpful with lots of information on the animals (we nearly saw everything we wanted to see in just one day), just beware of the monkeys when you stop for a picnic break. Never leave anything in an open car, they will be all over it and raid your stuff :)
The other days we did self drives, which was also great, we saw so many animals (all of the big 5, but so much more as well) and landscapes, which was impressive. The entrance to the park is literally 2 minutes away, so all very close.

The spa in the hotel was great, a huge selection of food for breakfast and dinner as well and the staff was very friendly and helpful. At dinner, they are often singing and dancing, celebrating people’s birthdays or engagements and you really feel that they are enjoy being there and having a wonderful time with the guests.

One staff member that stood out to us was our waiter at dinner. Zenda really made us look forward to every evening, he soon knew us by name, remembered our drink choices, was just such a happy spirit and even reserved a nice table by the fire on the last evening for us so we could watch a singing/dancing show we did not know would take place that evening. We would not have seen it from our usual spot.

For us, a dream holiday and we are already planning the next stay with friends and family.

Posted on 06/06/2025 by Google

Our stay at Kruger gate hotel was incredible, an entire experience that felt totally surreal. The staff were so hospitable and so welcoming, we couldn’t have asked for more. Everyone was so friendly and the atmosphere here was beautiful. I cannot recommend Kruger gate hotel enough to anyone visiting South Africa. A bucket list stop for sure.

Posted on 14/06/2025 by TripAdvisor

Seldom a return visit surpasses prior experiences. They keep on getting better. Will surely be back in the future.

Posted on 09/06/2025 by TripAdvisor

Kruger Gate Hotel each and every member of the team deserve Five stars, pick up from air port was very prompt, checking was very prompt, booking our safari’s where mostly pre booked just needed to confirm on arrival which was easy, as most where early starts the hotel offer a breakfast box which was simply to order the day before and you collect in the morning which a good selection to choose from. We did book an extra safari which we weren’t able to attend due to my wife having a migraine, we thought we lost the money but on checking out the hotel refunded our money which was surprising unexpected. Everything from our room, grounds of the hotel, bar, dining area, view deck, spa, golf course and play area were as we expected all well kept. Dining area Lapa is where we ate during the evening with very good choices to suit everyone’s dietary needs, the staff were hands on at all times, some freshly cooked as ordered. Breakfast dining again catered for everyone’s dietary needs including gluten free food, with plenty of options of hot and cold food and drinks. Bar serviced anything from soft drinks, cocktails, wine, beers, spirits, and even tea and coffee with a very relax setting. View deck one of our favourite places to unwind and relax watch the elephants, hippo’s, giraffes and lions roam freely while we had a drink, there is also a chance to use the infinite pool on the view deck if you wish too, there was also three smaller viewing deckings which where available for everyone to use. Our room was five star very high standard and modern too all house keeping staff worked hard and kept our room clean and turned our bed down every night which is nice touch. Safaris where excellent and the driver would go above and beyond to get you to see the Big Five, with plenty of stops to use the toilets, gave plenty of time for pictures to be taken. Gary & Sarah you have an excellent team who provide a five star service to all of your guest. What a beautiful place to stay

Posted on 09/06/2025 by TripAdvisor

Been going to this hotel for over 40 years. Such good value and the perfect location for the start of the Kruger

Posted on 10/06/2025 by Booking.com

café da manhã excelente ,staff super atencioso ,ambientes super agradáveis

Posted on 09/06/2025 by Booking.com

As instalações do hotel são lindas. O deck com vista para o parque é um espetáculo a parte. Tivemos sorte e em poucas horas pudemos avistar muitos animais. Comida e atendimento impecável. Muita variedade de opções. Os funcionários estão sempre felizes e dispostos a te ajudar. A localização é perfeita para quem está interessado em fazer self Safari, a menos de 5 minutos do portão do parque.

Posted on 06/06/2025 by Booking.com

Localização boa para quem não vai ficar dentro do parque, pois fica logo ao lado do portão Paul Kruger (é só cruzar a ponte). Por estar tão perto e de frente pro rio, é possível ver alguns animais passando perto da piscina, como elefantes (uma família passou por ali de manhã um dia), ou perto dos quartos (como macacos e impalas).
O café da manhã é muito bom, buffet bastante variado com opções feitas na hora (omelete, waffle, panquecas).
O jantar também é um buffet numa área com uma foqueira, bastante variado com opções de pratos africanos e de cozinha internacional. E alguns preparados na hora (wok, queijo quente, smores). Algumas noites tiveram apresentação de dança e música local, muito legal!
O quarto que ficamos era super confortável, cama enorme, banheiro com pia dupla, banheira e chuveiro. Todas as comodidades (frigobar, máquina de café, chaleira elétrica, cofre, secador de cabelo, ameninites) Muito bem decorado também.
Bastante seguro, todos os carros precisam se identificar para entrar, incluindo os carros de Safari.
A piscina fica na area mais próxima do parque, a vista é linda. Piscina para crianças fica num pedaço mais protegido da mesma área.
O spa é sensacional, fazer massagem num bangalô de frente para o rio, super privativo, foi muito relaxante.

Posted on 09/06/2025 by Booking.com

Amazing location. Great equipment. Super comfortable and clean.

Posted on 10/06/2025 by Booking.com

Es war einfach toll. Am Pool viele Tiere beobachtet. Frühstück und Abendessen Buffet. Es hat an nichts gefehlt. Zimmer sind groß und komfortabel eingerichtet. Sehr gute Betten.

Posted on 07/06/2025 by Booking.com