South Africa’s best wildlife photographs [taken in the wild]

Here is a selection of the best wildlife photographs that we took during our last trip through South Africa. For the best experience, click on these photos for a full screen view.

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Large elephant with white tusks shaking off dust in South Africa.

An elephant taking a dust bath, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa

Portrait of a wild cheetah in its natural environment of green grass in the Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Portrait of a cheetah, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

A lioness and her cub, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Two male impalas fighting with their horns in the grass, Kruger NP, South Africa.

Impala fight, Kruger NP, South Africa

Lion cub sticking its head out above the grass in Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Lion cubs on a safari through &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Large male elephant looking into the camera after taking a mud bath, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa.

Big male elephant, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa

Pride of wild lions, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Nyala male, Tembe Elephant Park, South Africa

Young wild lioness playing with her brother during a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa

Young wild lion fighting – Hluhluwe iMfolozi – South Africa

Lion pride resting on rocks at sunset Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Lionesses with cubs on a rock at sunset, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Wild lioness in the sunrise light during a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa

Lioness in the morning sun during a safari in Hluwhluwe iMfolozi park, South Africa

Black winged stilts, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa

Red Bishop, orange bird with black head in the reeds, Northern Drakensberg, South Africa

Red Bishop, Northern Drakensberg, South Africa

Beautiful wild male lion during a safari in the Karoo National Park, in the sunrise light

Wild male lion at sunrise, Karoo NP, South Africa

Brownhooded Kingfisher with red beak, brown back and blue tail, Mkhuze Game Reseve, South Africa

Brownhooded Kingfisher, Mkhuze Game Reseve, South Africa

Colourful grasshopper on grass, Sabie, South Africa.

Colourful grasshopper, Sabie, South Africa.

Hippo at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Giraffe with her newborn, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Two zebras with only one head visible looking into the camera, black and white.

Zebras, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Cheetah cub jumping on its mother's head, andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Mock attack, cheetah cub and mother, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

White water lily and African Jacana with a blue head, walking on a leaf in a lake, South Africa.

African Jacana, Kruger NP, South Africa

Close-up of a female impala with green background, South Africa.

Close-up of an impala, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Giraffes, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Wild lioness and cub drinking in the iMfolozi river in Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa, during a safari

Lioness and cub drinking in the iMfolozi river in Hluhluwe iMfolozi safari park – South Africa

Colourful European Roller taking off with its blue and purple wings spread, Kruger NP, South Africa.

European Roller, Kruger NP, South Africa

Cheetah cub in its natural environment of green grass looking into the camera. Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Portrait of a cheetah cub, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Southern masked weaver, yellow bird, underneath his woven nest in the reeds.

Southern masked weaver, by its nest in the Drakensberg.

Black male ostrich overlooking the hills of the Karoo NP, South Africa.

An ostrich in the Karoo NP, South Africa

Endangered Cape Parrot on a branch, Hogsback, South Africa

Endangered Cape Parrot, Hogsback, South Africa

Sunset on the African savannah, Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Sunset at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve on a former pineapple plantation, South Africa

Waterbuck close-up in front of green bushes in Kruger NP, South Africa.

Waterbuck, Kruger NP, South Africa

Portrait of a giraffe chewing a small green branch, Kruger NP, South Africa

Portrait of a giraffe, Kruger NP, South Africa

Mother cheetah running with two cubs in Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Mother cheetah and cubs playing, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Warthog with tusks standing with 4 piglets suckling, Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Warthog feeding her offspring, &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Impalas at sunset at &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Impalas at sunset – &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Rock dassies on Sani Pass, South Africa

African fish eagle with white face and yellow beak in a tree, Kruger NP, South Africa.

African fish eagle, Kruger NP, South Africa

Young wild lion and lioness playing during a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa

Young wild lion and lioness playing in Hluhluwe iMfolozi, South Africa during a safari

Two young elephants fighting in the bush, Mkhuze Game Reseve, South Africa.

Close-up of the head of a buffalo in Hluhluwe iMfolozi, South Africa.

Close up of a buffalo, Hluhluwe iMfolozi, South Africa

A lizard on the Sani Pass, South Africa

Wild lioness playing with her brother during a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa

Wild lioness jumping at her brother during a safari in the Hluhluwe iMfolozi National Park, South Africa

Yellow billed stork feeding in a lake with reeds in front.

Yellowbilled Stork, Mkhuze Game Reserva, South Africa

Mother vervet monkey with grey fur and black face holding her baby at the foot of a tree, Kruger NP, South Africa.

Mother and baby vervet monkeys, Kruger NP, South Africa

Close up of a hippo in the water with its hairs

Hippo, the local inhabitant of the Kosi Bay lakes, South Africa

Mother rhino with her calf by a waterhole at sunrise, South Africa

Mother and calf white rhinos by a waterhole

Malachite Kingfisher on dead branch with green background, Kruger NP, South Africa

Malachite Kingfisher, Kruger NP, South Africa

Portrait of a baboon in the wild with a green background, Kruger NP, South Africa.

Portrait of a baboon, Kruger NP, South Africa

Wild male lion hunting an Oryx Gazelle in the Karoo National Park at sunrise, South Africa during a safari

Wild lion hunting an Oryx Gazelle in the Karoo National Park at sunrise, South AfricaWild lion hunting an Oryx Gazelle in the Karoo National Park at sunrise, South Africa

Green nile crocodile in the water in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Nile crocodile, Kruger NP, South Africa

Vultures feasting on a giraffe, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa

Leopard seated in the bush in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Leopard, Kruger NP, South Africa

Dead baby warthog in a tree killed by a leopard in Kruger Park, South Africa during a safari

Dead baby warthog in a tree, Leopard kill, Kruger Park, South Africa during a safari

Wild young male lion yawning and showing its teeth in Hluhluwe iMfolozi during a safari, South Africa

Wild young male lion yawning – Hluhluwe iMfolozi – South Africa

Two wild brother lions during a safari in the Karoo National Park, South Africa

Claire Lessiau & Marcella van Alphen (text & photographs)

Travel tips:

All photos were taken in the wild, by us. Please, contact us should you want a high definition print.
Check out this interactive map for the specific details to help you plan your trip and more articles and photos (zoom out) about the area! Here is a short tutorial to download it.

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19 Comments Add yours

Heather Rider says:

July 2, 2018 at 6:48 am

There are so many great photographs but my favorite is Cheetah 1.

1. bestregardsfromfar says:
  
  July 2, 2018 at 3:53 pm
  
  Thanks Heather! You would fall in love with South Africa instantly!!
  
Adri van Alphen says:

July 2, 2018 at 7:24 am

What a wonderful gallery of photograps. It is impossible for me to choose one favourite. There are so many beautiful photographs. Very well done!!

1. bestregardsfromfar says:
  
  July 2, 2018 at 3:53 pm
  
  Thank you Adri for your read and comment! Very much appreciated.
  
framboisecassisgroseille2015 says:

July 2, 2018 at 8:27 pm

I love all of them. It’ s very difficult ro choose. Perhaps the “Sauterelle colorée” for changing of the big five. But they are very impressive as usual.

1. bestregardsfromfar says:
  
  July 7, 2018 at 9:57 pm
  
  Thanks a lot for your comment and compliment. Yes, the grasshopper is really dressed up in awesome colors 🙂
  
Alison and Don says:

July 3, 2018 at 5:47 am

Love the zebras! And the European Roller.
Alison

1. bestregardsfromfar says:
  
  July 7, 2018 at 9:56 pm
  
  Thanks Alison for your comment 🙂 It’s not always the big 5 that are the most photogenic.
  
Holdinn says:

July 3, 2018 at 6:26 am

Awe-inspiring wildlife photographs, portray Africa’s wildlife in clever and beautiful ways

1. bestregardsfromfar says:
  
  July 5, 2018 at 9:21 am
  
  Thank you very much for your compliments. Much appreciated 🙂