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Animal dung
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One of the most obvious signs you will find driving around in the Kruger National Park is animal dung. They come in all different shapes and sizes – from the huge balls of elephant dung (left) to the tiny drops of impala dung.
Fresh dung is moist and smelly, and may indicate that the animals who produced it are still close by. So use your eyes and nose to find them.
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Animal tracks
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The next most obvious signs are animal tracks. Tracks are only visible on the gravel roads and the freshest ones will be on top of vehicle tracks. So, if you find fresh lion prints over fresh vehicle tracks then keep your eyes peeled. The king of the beasts might be very close by.
If you are interested in learning more about tracking, buy a field guide in one of the camp shops that shows the differences between all the animal tracks.
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Rubbing posts
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Animals like elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and blue wildebeests take mud baths, not only to cool down, but also to get rid of parasites such as ticks.
After the mud bath the animal goes to a rock or a tree trunk and rubs against it to remove the mud from its body. In the process, the ticks are removed as well. Look for these rubbing posts near rivers, dams, waterholes and especially small natural pools of muddy water.
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Polished Rubbing Posts
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Sometimes a specific rubbing post is used over and over until it becomes a smooth and polished instrument that will be used for generations to come.
Leadwood trees, which are made of extremely dense, hard wood, are a favourite because they can withstand the pressure from large animals. These are very often found near seasonal muddy pools and are most often used by elephants and rhinos.
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Bird nests
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As you drive through the Kruger National Park, you will come across a variety of bird nests. The big nest on the left was built by a pair of hamerkops.
You will often find activity near a bird nest as parents bring food to the chicks or do some maintenance on the nest. You might see birds taking over the nests of others or predators – such as snakes, lizards and raptors – raiding nests for eggs and chicks.
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Scrape markings
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Territorial animals – such as leopards, lions and rhinos – often use their hind legs to make scrape markings along their patrol routes; some species even leave chemical scents in the process.
If you are lucky, you may come across such a scrape marking on the side of the road (pictured left). This will tell you that a certain animal used that road as a patrol route. Look for tracks next to it to determine the species.
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Drag marks
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When a predator kills its prey it often drags it to another safer or cooler location. Leopards, in particular, are known to drag animals up to the size of an adult impala over a great distance (100m or more) to the nearest tall tree.
In the process, the dangling prey leaves a drag mark on the ground, sometimes found crossing the gravel road. Look very carefully to find out which species dragged the carcass. If you see leopard tracks, be sure to scan the treetops for carcasses!
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Cowpats
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It is very easy to see where a large herd of buffaloes crossed the road. Because they are usually constantly feeding when they are on the move, they also constantly defecate, leaving a very visible (and smelly) trail of dung behind.
So, if you come across a part of the road that is very dirty and smelly over a distance of 10-50m or so, in all likelihood a herd of buffaloes passed there recently.
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Snake tracks
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Snake tracks can often be seen in the early mornings on the gravel roads of the Kruger National Park. A number of snakes are active at night, giving the first few people on the road a chance to see where the snakes crossed the roads the previous night.
Snake tracks look almost like bicycle tracks.
S-shaped tracks were made by snakes like cobras which slither, while straight ones are made by snakes like adders, which use their muscles to crawl.
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Dung middens
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Certain species of animals defecate in dung middens. These are piles of dung which are used over and over, mostly by territorial animals. They act as scent stations where individuals can learn about the status and movements of others.
In the southern parts of the Kruger National Park, you will often find the large (about 3x5m) white rhino dung middens on the roadsides. White rhinos use roads as patrol routes and you may find many middens on one stretch of road.
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Digging
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Aardvark, porcupine, honey badger and warthog (among others) all dig for their food. Certain species, like spotted hyaenas, also dig to clear out old aardvark holes which they use as den sites.
You may therefore come across areas where animals have turned up the soil in search of food or to make a temporary home. Look for tracks in the area which could give you clues as to which animal was responsible. A guided walk is best to see tracks and dig marks.
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Musth bulls
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Elephant bulls that are ready to mate are known to be in a state of musth (pronounced "must"). Musth bulls are generally more aggressive than other bull elephants due to their heightened testosterone levels.
Musth is clearly revealed by secretions from the temporal glands running down the sides of their face, and a swollen and partially extended penis which dribbles a green, strong-smelling secretion that can often be seen on the road.
If you see, or more importantly, smell these moist markings on the road, look out for the musth elephant bull in the immediate vicinity and show him a lot of respect by giving him more than enough space.
All elephants should be treated with respect by leaving large distances between them and your vehicle, but be particularly careful around musth bulls, even if they seem to be very relaxed. They have been known to damage cars of ignorant visitors, causing serious injuries in the process!
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Elephant trunk marks
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Apart form tracks, dung and musth secretions, elephants also leave trunk marks on the gravel roads, which look life half-drawn pictures in the sand.
The marks are left on the ground by elephants with very long trunks (often large bulls) that play with the sand as they walk down the road. They may carry on doing this for miles and miles…
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Game trails
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Game trails are paths made and used by animals to get from one place to another without having to walk through tall, dense stands of grass or thickets of shrubs and trees. These paths are clear, smooth and generally without any loose rocks. Rocks are either kicked from the path by passing animals or physically removed by elephants.
The game trails often lead to or away from water and if you were to look at a waterhole or dam from the air, you would see many game trails leading to the water from different directions.
The game trails are used by park rangers when they take you on guided walks. Unfortunately, poachers also use these trails to set their traps. As a result, the anti-poaching team of the park often patrols these game trails for wire snares and signs of poaching.
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We hope that you have learnt something about the signs that animals leave in the Kruger National Park. Remember to keep your eyes open for these signs as you drive along, and also to use your nose and ears... Enjoy your next game drive in the park!
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