The Wildebeest's guide to South Africa
Marakele National Park
Afrikaans name: Marakele Nasionale Park
Entrance to Marakele National Park
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Limpopo
Marakele National Park is located near Thabazimbi in the Waterberg Mountains. It is approximately 250 km from Johannesburg. The park includes areas of the drier western regions along with the more moist regions of the east. This allows the park to be home a wide variety of flora and fauna.
There are two main camps in Marakele. Tlopi Tented Camp is set on the Apiesrivierpoort Dam. Each tent has two beds and a private bathroom. The camp is unfenced which allows you to get up close and personal with some of the game. For campers and caravanners there is the Bontle Camping Site. One should stock up with all ones requirements outside the park.
Mammals that may be seen in the park include Black and White Rhino, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Brown Hyena, Sable and Waterbuck.
One of the highlights for birders is the Cape Vulture. Around 800 pairs of these magnificent birds breed in Marakele. Other birds to look for include Purple Roller, Cape Rock Thrush, Brown Snake Eagle, Wahlbergs Eagle, Jackal Buzzard, African Scops Owl, Spotted Eagle Owl, Freckled Nightjar and Fiery-necked Nightjar.
While you are in the park you must take a drive to the top of the Waterberg massif where you will be rewarded with spectacular views.
Tented accommodation in the park
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Caravan park
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Western part of the park in the dry season
Photo © Johan van Zyl
Mammals of Marakele National Park
Please note that this is only a guide and, while we have made every effort to be accurate, we can't be held responsible for any errors.
South African Hedgehog
Lesser Bushbaby
Pangolin
Jameson's Red Rock Rabbit
Woodland Dormouse
Greater Cane Rat
Striped Polecat
Honey Badger
Lesser Spotted Genet
Selous's Mongoose
African Wild Cat
Grey Rhebuck
Common Duiker
Hottentot Golden Mole
Pouched Mouse
Four-striped Grass Mouse
Namaqua Rock Mouse
Straw-coloured Fruit Bat
Tree Rat
Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat
Vlei Rat
Southern Multimammate Mouse
Single-striped Grass Mouse
Swamp Musk Shrew
Lesser red musk shrew
Spiny Mouse
Fat Mouse
Grey Climbing Mouse
Angoni Vlei Rat
Red rock rat
Short-snouted Elephant Shrew
Eastern Rock Sengi
Highveld gerbil
Bushveld Gerbil
African Yellow Bat
Egyptian free-tailed bat
Egyptian slit-faced bat
Schreibes's Long-fingered Bat
Cape Serotine Bat
Birds of Marakele National Park
Please note that this is only a guide and, while we have made every effort to be accurate, we can't be held responsible for any errors.
Coqui Francolin
Shelley's Francolin
Common Quail
Harlequin Quail
Blue Quail
White-backed Duck
Comb Duck
Hottentot Teal
Southern Pochard
Kurrichane Buttonquail
Greater Honeyguide
Bearded Woodpecker
Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
Acacia Pied Barbet
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Common Scimitarbill
Half-collared Kingfisher
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Grey-headed Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Swallow-tailed Bee-eater
Southern Carmine Bee-eater
Jacobin Cuckoo
Levaillant's Cuckoo
Great Spotted Cuckoo
Red-chested Cuckoo
Black Cuckoo
African Cuckoo
Meyer's Parrot
Alpine Swift
African Black Swift
White-rumped Swift
African Grass-Owl
Southern White-faced Scops-Owl
Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Freckled Nightjar
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar
Rock Dove
African Green-Pigeon
Denham's Bustard
African Snipe
Wood Sandpiper
African Jacana
Water Thick-knee
Black-winged Stilt
African Cuckoo Hawk
Palm-nut Vulture
Lappet-faced Vulture
Lizard Buzzard
Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk
Ovambo Sparrowhawk
African Hawk-Eagle
Booted Eagle
Wahlberg's Eagle
Lesser Kestrel
Rock Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Goliath Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Dwarf Bittern
Abdim's Stork
Brubru
Black-crowned Tchagra
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike
White-crested Helmet-Shrike
Cape Batis
Lesser Grey Shrike
Black Cuckooshrike
Cape Penduline-Tit
Pearl-breasted Swallow
Greater Striped Swallow
Rock Martin
Common House-Martin
Terrestrial Brownbul
Fairy Flycatcher
Cape Grassbird
Burnt-necked Eremomela
African Reed-Warbler
Great Reed-Warbler
Lesser Swamp-Warbler
Olive-tree Warbler
Icterine Warbler
Willow Warbler
Southern Pied Babbler
Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler
Lazy Cisticola
Rattling Cisticola
Tinkling Cisticola
Neddicky
Zitting Cisticola
Desert Cisticola
Black-chested Prinia
Bar-throated Apalis
Green-backed Camaroptera
Monotonous Lark
Flappet Lark
Cape Rock-Thrush
Short-toed Rock-Thrush
Kurrichane Thrush
Pale Flycatcher
Marico Flycatcher
Grey Tit-Flycatcher
Buff-streaked Chat
Capped Wheatear
Familiar Chat
Violet-backed Starling
Malachite Sunbird
Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
Scaly-feathered Finch
White-browed Sparrow-Weaver
Red-headed Weaver
Red-collared Widowbird
Orange-breasted Waxbill
African Quailfinch
Red-headed Finch
Cut-throat Finch
Swee Waxbill
Black-faced Waxbill
African Firefinch
Jameson's Firefinch
Village Indigobird
Dusky Indigobird
Purple Indigobird
Yellow-throated Petronia
Striped Pipit
Buffy Pipit
Long-billed Pipit
Bushveld Pipit
Black-throated Canary
References and further reading
Wild Issue 47 - Author: - Published: 2019 - Page: 38Wild Issue 47 - Author: - Published: 2019 - Page: 44
Wild Issue 41 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 18
Wild Issue 44 - Author: - Published: 2018 - Page: 26
Wild Issue 25 - Author: - Published: 2013 - Page: 96
Wild Issue 35 - Author: - Published: 2016 - Page: 19
Wild Issue 24 - Author: - Published: 2013 - Page: 8
Wild Issue 21 - Author: - Published: 2012 - Page: 42
Wild Issue 23 - Author: - Published: 2013 - Page: 46
Wild Issue 18 - Author: - Published: 2012 - Page: 54
Things to do in Moer & Gone Places - Author: Jacques Marais - Published: 2015 - Page: 27
The Chamberlain Guide to Birding Gauteng - Author: Etienne Marais and Faansie Peacock - Published: 2008 - Page: 293
The Rough Guide to Game Parks of South Africa - Author: P. Briggs - Published: 2020 - Page: 84
Stuarts Field Guide to National Parks & Nature Reserves of SA - 2nd ed - Author: Chris & Mathilde Stuart - Published: 2018 - Page: 33
go! - Issue 135 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 41
Hit the Road - 2nd Edition - Author: MapStudio - Published: 2018 - Page: 123
Southern African Birdfinder - Author: Cohen, Spottiswoode and Rossouw - Published: 2006 - Page: 180
go! - Issue 086 - Author: - Published: 2013 - Page: 31
Getaway - Vol 29 No 11 - Author: - Published: 2018 - Page: 61
Getaway - Vol 32 No 03 - Author: - Published: 2020 - Page: 80
Country Life - Issue 251 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 71
Getaway - Vol 22 No 12 - Author: - Published: 2011 - Page: 110
Country Life - Issue 251 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 68
Country Life - Issue 234 - Author: - Published: 2016 - Page: 84
Country Life - Issue 250 - Author: - Published: 2017 - Page: 59
Caravan & Outdoor Life - Issue 634 - Author: - Published: 2015 - Page: 17
Chris and Tilde Stuarts Guide to Southern African Game and Nature Reserves - Author: Chris and Tilde Stuart - Published: 1989 - Page: 34
Atlas of National Parks and Reserves of South Africa - Author: Marielle Renssen - Published: 2006 - Page: 118
Caravan & Outdoor Life - Issue 2006/11 - Author: - Published: 2006 - Page: 57
A - Z of South African National Parks - Author: South African National Parks - Published: 0 - Page: 50
SANParks - Marakele National Park
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