Nowhere else on earth do Africa and Antarctica so impressively come together as at South Africa's Cape! It's a place where cold-loving penguins live alongside desert-dwelling ostriches, and which is similarly home to surfing sea snails and live-bearing chameleons.
From the savanna to the desert, the heart of South Africa is home to the most successful hunters, extremely odd animals, and the setting for one of the most colorful natural spectacles on the planet! Far from the cape and coasts, and beyond the Drakensberg Mountains, lie vast semideserts and dry savannas - a world apart, fit for clever survivalists only!
South Africa is one of the world’s natural gems; a treasure nestled at the southern tip of the abundant African continent. Visitors from all around the world descend on the country to take advantage of the stunning climate, accommodation, hotels, game reserves, natural attractions, and, of course, the huge variety of wildlife.
The landscapes of South Africa offer the full spectrum of habitat types (from dense green forests to arid deserts, and everything in-between), making them ideal for thousands of species. These include exciting predators, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and a huge variety of fascinating insects. These different species are found in plentiful abundance in the game reserves and national parks of the country, as well as in the wild and natural countryside, where they live free.

The Big 5 is one of the main attractions to South Africa in terms of its wildlife. This group includes the African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Lion, Black Rhino, and Leopard. This combination of predator and mighty terrestrial mammals makes for a once-in-a-lifetime sighting of some of the world’s most impressive species.
BIRD LIFE
South Africa is home to approximately 175 endemic bird species, as well as hundreds more species. Notable endemic varieties include the Black Oystercatcher, Blue Crane, Cape Parrot, Cape Vulture, Forest Canary, Ground Woodpecker, Jackal Buzzard, Knysna Turaco, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Protea Seedeater, Southern Bald Ibis, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Whitebacked Mousebird, and the Yellow-breasted Pipit.

Avian enthusiasts are well-rewarded when they visit this country, and are reminded to bring their binoculars and identification aids.

MAMMALS
There are about 230 mammal species to be found in South Africa, which include a collection of impressive predators. These make for fabulous sightings on any game drive or safari. Of these hundreds of species, there are two that are critically endangered (De Winton’s Golden Mole and the Riverine Rabbit) and 11 that are endangered (including the African Wild Dog, the Mountain Zebra, Sei Whale and Blue Whale). These numbers are in line with the IUCN statistics.

Endemic mammals include the Cape Elephant Shrew, Cape Mole-rat, Cape Grysbok, Bontebok, Cape Kudu, Springbok and the Cape Horseshoe Bat.

Marine mammals are a major draw-card to South Africa, thanks to its extensive sh