If you’ve dreamt of seeing a wild White Rhino, but never considered that you could be on foot - you’re missing an experience of a lifetime! Kyle Recreational Park is home to a healthy number of White Rhino and seeing this Big Five species in the park is a good possibility.
Romelda Lakeside Retreat offers an exclusive activity where you enter the National Park by boat, approximately 30-minutes from the lodge, and met by the parks scout and a walking guide. From there, a short vehicle ride from the drop-off point at Mturikwi picnic site, through the Mopane forests and over the granite hills into the park Savannah lands, you begin your tracking! During the drive keep an eye out for the prolific numbers of plains game; wildebeest, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and impala are most typical but many other species are in the park.
The guides are able to assess a possible location of the Rhino based on common grazing areas and the popular waterholes as well as their last known location. The walk can be anywhere from 1km to 5km before you spot them, along the way paying tribute to the many tracks, dung and other small clues which lead to finding the majestic beasts. Those interested can also keep an eye out for some of the many bird species found in the park, enjoy looking at the flora and fauna or at least, get a bit of fresh air and exercise whilst wandering through African nature.
Once you find the Rhinos, the experience is insurmountable to anything else you can experience, as an avid bush-goer or on your first time safari. The docile animals are usually blatantly unaware of your presence and generally continue with their natural habits, the guides and scouts will keep you at a safe distance endeavouring not to disturb the wild animals, also allowing for better and longer viewing.
The population of wild White Rhino in Kyle Recreational Park has grown naturally and steadily over the past 4 decades, leaving positive numbers of male, female and younger Rhinos in the park. Good management of the park and its scouts is imperative for the protection of these endangered species - if you would like to find out how you can help this cause, please get in touch!