Thornybush Game Reserve

Thornybush Game Reserve Overview

Set within the Greater Kruger National Park, the renowned Thornybush Game Reserve, also known as Thornybush Nature Reserve, is a pristine 14,000-hectare private game reserve.

**The Greater Kruger National Park, also referred to as the Greater Kruger, is an area which covers a massive expanse of unfenced wilderness. The Greater Kruger consists of a group of private game reserves, one of which being Thornybush Game Reserve, that collectively form a protected conservation area that lies in and around the Kruger National Park.

The Greater Kruger covers an estimated 20 000 000 hectares of protected, unfenced, and unspoiled African bushveld, allowing wildlife to roam freely between the Kruger National Park and a vast number of private concessions, including Thornybush Game Reserve.

Beyond being one of the most sought-after game reserves in Africa, it is every bit as wild and untamed as its famous neighboring national park, the Kruger National Park, with the added bonus of sharing an unfenced border with Timbavati Nature Reserve and the Kruger Park.

By sharing an unfenced boundary with these premium reserves and national parks, those visiting Thornybush Game Reserve have the opportunity to experience the ultimate in African game-viewing, as wildlife are free to migrate between reserves, freely moving across much larger tracts of land, resulting in greater and more diverse wildlife sightings and superior African Big 5 encounters.

Game viewing in Thornybush Game Reserve ranks as some of the best in Southern Africa due to the sheer diversity and abundance of wildlife that call Thornybush home. Not to mention its glorious African Big 5 encounters and sightings. Together, it is has helped establish Thornybush Game Reserve as a leading safari destination in the Greater Kruger Park area.

Best time to go

May – September (Dry season)

High Season

October – March

Low Season

April – September

Size

140km² / 54mi²

Altitude

445-579m / 1,460-1,900ft

Location

Greater Kruger Park | South Africa

Dry Season

May – September (Winter)

Best Weather

April – May | September – October (Mild weather & little rain)

Wet Season

October – April (Summer)

Worst Weather

June – August (Chilly mornings & nights) | December – February (Hot & humid)

Snapshot of Thornybush Game Reserve

Shares an unfenced border with the Greater Kruger National Park
Great Diversity of Wildlife
Easy Access
World Class Lodging
Game viewing ranks as some of the best in Southern Africa
Limited Lodges and Guests

Thornybush Game reserve is perfect for

Big 5 Safari Sightings & Incredible predator sightings
Leopard Sightings
Plains Game
Thrilling safari & African wildlife adventures | Family holidays | Romantic wilderness getaways | Photographic Safaris | Fly-In Safaris
Guided walking safaris

Thornybush Game Reserve Wildlife

As game viewing in Thornybush Game Reserve ranks as some of the best in Southern Africa, home to a vast and prolific diversity of wildlife and birdlife, visitors and avid wildlife enthusiasts and keen birders can expect exceptional and exciting sightings and encounters.

Sharing an unfenced border with the equally famous and game-rich Timbavati Game Reserve, which is open to the Kruger National Park and is, therefore, part of a large ecosystem, Thornybush Private Game Reserve boasts a prime big game habitat, consisting of massive open savannah woodlands with patches of tangled thicket and thorny scrub.

The abundance of perennial rivers, good groundwater levels, varied ecosystems, multiple landscapes, and distinct vegetation draws an incredible diversity of plains game to Thornybush Game Reserve, which, in turn, attracts a large variety of predators, including the legendary African Big 5. From trumpeting elephant herds along riverbeds, the roar of a lion pride echoing through the reserve, and the thrill of a close encounter with a stealthy leopard to rare and remarkable sightings of the mighty African rhino and the magnificent buffalo – Thornybush is the ideal place to see the icons of the African bushveld.

Black Rhino in Thornybush Game Reserve

The usually shy and secretive black rhino is spotted and tracked in Thornybush Game Reserve quite regularly – which is a real treat for wildlife lovers all around.

The Sabie and Sand Rivers, as well as their many tributaries like the Manyaleti River running through the reserve is another one of Thornybush Game Reserve’s secret attractions with regards to its rich predator, Big 5, and prolific wildlife activity. These prominent water sources are the lifeblood of the game reserve and attracts a wide array of game and predators all-year round.

Beyond the reserve’s exceptional predator and Big 5 activity, Thornybush Game Reserve is home to an abundant and incredible variety of wildlife species. From spotted hyena, giraffe, zebra, hippo, warthog, and several species of antelope, to wildebeest, cheetah, and sightings of genet, civet, porcupine, and caracal are frequently spotted on night drives, Thornybush Game Reserve boasts an extraordinary wildlife population.

The remarkable and endangered African wild dog often passes through the reserve, with viewing opportunities being especially good when they choose to den in the reserve. Another bucket-list worthy wildlife sighting is that of the extremely rare white lion from the neighboring Timbavati Private Game Reserve, which has been spotted on several occasions.

Thornybush Private Game Reserve Wildlife & Safari Highlight

Thornybush – A Private Paradise

Thornybush Game Reserve

As Thornybush is a private Kruger reserve and shares an unfenced border with the Greater Kruger, it affords guests the opportunity to enjoy activities and safari adventures not normally permitted in the Kruger Park itself. This means guests can freely explore all the wilderness and wildlife wonders of the Kruger completely unhindered.

Rangers and safari guides not only have unrestricted access to the public roads of the Kruger Park, but are free to drive and venture off-road, allowing guests and game enthusiasts to experience thrilling up-close wildlife sightings, getting you as close to the action as possible.

Another highlight of Thornybush Private Game Reserve is that safaris and game drives are not restricted to daylight hours as they are in the Kruger National Park, and exploring the Greater Kruger wilderness before sunrise and after sunset are not only customary, but a must. Once darkness falls, guests get to experience the thrill of an action-packed spot-lit night drive safari in search of rare nocturnal creatures and big cats on the move.

In addition to day safaris and night drive safaris, the Greater Kruger (and thus Thornybush Game Reserve) offers an array of exhilarating wildlife and safari adventures for guests to enjoy. Guided walking safaris are undoubtedly a fan favourite as avid nature and wildlife lovers get to experience the magnificent wildlife and untouched wilderness landscapes of the Kruger on foot.

Thornybush Game Reserve Birdlife

Lilac-breasted Roller | Photo credit: flickr

Although the primary draw and focus of Thornybush Game Reserve is its remarkable and vast diversity of wildlife, Thornybush is regarded as a great birding destination, boasting more than 280 recorder bird species.

If you are a particularly avid bird watcher / ardent birder who is especially eager to spot some sensational bird species on your day out exploring Thornybush and beyond, going on a wilderness safari or game drive with other guests can be somewhat frustrating, as most guests and visitors tend to be far more interested in exciting up-close wildlife sightings and spotting the famous African Big 5.

For enthusiastic birders seeking the ultimate African birding experience, it is advisable to book a private safari or game drive – giving you full control of your experience and what you want your guide and tracker to focus on.

If you’re looking to make your Thornybush birding adventure more exciting, going on a guided walking safari or exhilarating night drive, will undoubtedly add an extra dose of thrill to your bird watching experience. It will also significantly increase your chances of seeing a vast variety of bird species.

Notable birds in Thornybush Game Reserve include:

Blacksmith lapwing (common)
Fork-tailed drongo (common)
Groundscraper thrush (common)
Malachite kingfisher (common)
Martial eagle (common)

Birding specials & real treats for avid birders in Thornybush Game Reserve:

African green pigeon
African hawk eagle
Arrow-marked babbler
Black-crowned night heron
Chinspot batis
Common greenshank
Greater painted snipe
Jameson’s firefinch
Lesser spotted eagle
Little grebe
Pennant-winged nightjar
Senegal lapwing
Shaft-tailed whydah
Southern pochard
Stierling’s wren-warbler
Temminck’s courser
White-winged widowbird
Yellow-breasted apalis

Best time for bird watching in Thornybush Game Reserve

The best time to visit the Thornybush Game Reserve as it pertains to bird watching is from November to April when migratory birds are present.

Thornybush Game Reserve Scenery & Vegetation

Set within the Greater Kruger National Park, sharing unfenced boundaries with Timbavati Nature Reserve and the esteemed Kruger National Park, Thornybush Game Reserve forms part of a very large and diverse ecosystem – which in turn attracts an exceptional density and vast diversity of wildlife and birdlife.

Thornybush Private Game Reserve features prime big game habitat, with the terrain largely consisting of mixed woodland, rolling lowveld, and expansive open savannah with patches of tangled thicket and thorny bush – hence the name Thornybush.

The reserve’s abundance of perennial rivers, good groundwater levels, varied ecosystems, multiple landscapes, and distinct vegetation draws an incredible variety of plains game, predators, and the African Big 5.

The Sabie and Sand Rivers, as well as their many tributaries like the Manyaleti River running through the reserve further contributes to Thornybush Game Reserve’s prolific wildlife activity. These prominent water sources are regarded as the lifeblood of the game reserve and attracts a wide array of game all-year round. The reserve is also bisected by several riverbeds.

Best Time To Go To Thornybush Game Reserve