Madikwe Hills Wildlife Checklist

Madikwe Game Reserve is a wildlife conservation area in the North West Province of South Africa’s North on the border of Botswana. The reserve is the fifth largest in the country and one of South Africa’s lesser known parks, growing in popularity.

Today, Madikwe Game Reserve is home to an abundant range of game species, largely a result of one of the largest relocation programmes in Africa. Madikwe’s one-of-a-kind location in the transition zone of the Kalahari Desert means that unusual desert-adapted species can also be seen on safari here.

Keep reading below for a list of many of the animals to be seen in Madikwe. Take a look and let us know how many you saw during your time with us – or what species we’ve left off the list.

Cats

African Wild Cat | Felis silvestris lybica
Caracal | Thwane | Caracal caracal
Cheetah | Lengau | Acinonyx jubatus
Leopard | Nkwe | Panthera pardus
Lion | Tau | Panthera leo
Serval | Tadi | Leptailurus serval

Large mammals

African Elephant | Tlou | Loxodonta africana
Cape Buffalo | Nare | Syncerus caffer
Hippopotamus | Kubu | Hippopotamus amphibius
Black Rhinocerous | Tshukudu e ntsho | Diceros bicornis
White Rhinoceros | Tshukudu e tshweu | Ceratotherium simum

Nocturnal animals

Aardwolf | Mmabudu | Proteles cristatus
Bat-eared fox | Tlhose | Otocyon megalotis
Black-backed Jackal | Phokoje | Canis mesomelas
Brown Hyaena | Phiri Tswana | Parahyaena brunnea
Spotted Hyaena | Phiri | Crocuta crocuta |
Wild Dog | Letlhalerwa | Lycaon pictus
Honey Badger | Magwegwe | Mellivora capensis

Antelope

Blesbok | Nono | Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi
Blue Wildebeest | Kgokong Connochaetes taurinus
Bushbuck | Serolobotlhoko | Tragelaphus scriptus |
Common Duiker | Photiko-tswana | Sylvicapra grimmia
Eland | Phofu | Tragelaphus oryx
Gemsbok | Kukama | Oryx gazella
Impala | Phala | Aepyceros melampus
Klipspringer | Kololo | Oreotragus oreotragus
Kudu | Tholo | Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Mountain Reedbuck | Mofele o mohibidu | Redunca fulvorufula
Red Hartebeest | Kgama | Alcelaphus buselaphus
Steenbok | Phudufudu | Raphicerus campestris
Tsessebe | Tshesebe | Damaliscus lunatus

Monkeys and baboons

Chacma baboon | Tshwene | Papio cynocephalus ursinus
Lesser Bushbaby | Kgajwanamasigo | Galago moholi
Vervet monkey | Kgabo | Chlorocebus aethiops

Other Animals

Burchell’s Zebra | Pitse ya naga | Equus burchelli
Cape Pangolin | Kgaga | Manis temminckii
Rock Hyrax/Dassie | Pela | Procavia capensis
Warthog | Makorwane | Phacochoerus africanus

If you’re interested in finding out more about our suites at Madikwe Hills, please follow the link here. Alternatively send our team an email at book@madikwehills.co.za or fill in our online booking form here.

We look forward to welcoming you to Madikwe Hills in the near future.

Image credits:
Field Guides Marc Grove and Samson Gaopelo