Established almost twenty years ago, Madikwe has successfully reintroduced more than 28 species, including lion, elephant and buffalo, as well as black and white rhino. Large numbers of elephant, giraffe and impala occur alongside oryx, springbok and red hartebeest. Both spotted and brown hyena are found in the reserve. Threatened species like the wild dog and black rhino have done particularly well at Madikwe. The African wild dog, one of the continent’s most endangered carnivores, now thrives in the area, with at least two strong packs roaming the reserve.

An unusual resident at Madikwe is the brown hyena, which is seldom seen due to its secretive nocturnal habits. A healthy population of these shaggy scavengers exists at Madikwe and some have become bold enough for regular sightings. With the Madikwe rangers acquainted with the location of a number of dens, pups can be easily located and monitored.  Elephant have been yet another huge success story at Madikwe. Entire family groups were captured and translocated as units and the elephant numbers at Madikwe have shown incredible growth.

One of the most abundant antelope at Madikwe is the graceful kudu, with its elegant spiral horns. Small family groups of related females and their young, as well as bachelor herds of up to ten males are often encountered. The acacia savanna of Madikwe provides an ideal food source for giraffe and these exceptional animals can often be spotted walking tall through the reserve. Giraffe are uniquely adapted to their environment and the vast majority of their diet is completely beyond the reach of other herbivores.

Recent Sightings from Wildwatch.com

HYENA & WILD DOG CONFLICT - 01 September 2010
Late in the afternoon we found a pack of wild dogs hunting.We found it impossible to keep up with them. So I decided to wait a few hundred meters away with a herd of impala in front of us. Our patience paid off. Before long there were impala and wild...
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AMAZING BLACK RHINO - 01 September 2010
After many days of searching, I finally saw my first black rhino in this reserve. It was a cold morning when we were driving to the southern end of the reserve in the hope of finding wild dog, when the bush exploded and a rhino stopped a short distance...
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SO FAR - 31 August 2010
A fire has swept through the mountains where a pack of 12 wild dogs have there den. Only a few of our rangers have been lucky enough to see it active with 10 pups at about 5 weeks old running around. This was only possible by foot and from a very long...
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