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• H4-1

H4-1

(Tar road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie)

Seeing a troop of baboons playing on the H4-1 tar road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie is a very common sight. They have become so used to vehicles that you'll be able to drive close to them to watch them play. Just make sure your windows are closed or almost closed, or you'll risk picking up an extra passenger! Spend some time watching a big troop; you are bound to see some wonderful antics and human-like behaviour.

Young baboons constantly play in the road.	A mother baboon rejects another's baby.

The H4-1 is one of the roads in the park that carries a lot of traffic, causing a bit of a jam from time to time, especially in the holiday season.

A small pride of lions resting on a sandbank near Lower Sabie.	The traffic on the H4-1 can be terrible, especially when lions are seen.

The whole stretch between Skukuza and Lower Sabie is relatively dense on the opposite side of the river, but the riverine vegetation is open enough to see the river for most of the way. Bushbuck are often found in the thickets, while large herds of impalas are found all along the H4-1. This high density of impalas along the Sabie River also makes it an ideal area for leopards. Scan the large trees for resting leopards throughout the day, and when you hear the warning calls of vervet monkeys, impalas, tree squirrels or guineafowl, a leopard might be nearby.

Impalas are plentiful on the H4-1 and are common leopard prey.	Drive the H4-1 very slowly early in the morning to give yourself an excellent chance of seeing leopard!
Many small gravel loops are found along the H4-1 and provide great views of the Sabie River.	Scan the trees for resting leopards.

You will find many gravel loops splitting to either side of the H4-1. These provide great views of the river (on the northern side of the road) and a bit of a break from the traffic (on the southern side). Look for hippos, elephants and buffaleso on the bank of the river when you drive on the river loops.

Birding along the H4-1 is also excellent! This must be one of the best roads in the Kruger National Park to see and photograph Burchell's coucal, which can often be found calling on the side of the road before or after a rainstorm. Bee-eaters, kingfishers, rollers and many other colourful birds are plentiful along the H4-1. Also look for raptors and francolins that often feed close to the roadside.

This carmine bee-eater is a summer visitor.	Listen for Burchell's coucal calling from the roadside.
Hippos are often seen early in the morning as they return to the river after a night of feeding.	Elephants are common along the whole stretch of the H4-1 tar road.

The popular H4-1 also passes Nkuhlu picnic site, which is a welcome stopover.

 Remember when you drive this road, drive it slowly. You are bound to find that leopard... eventually.

Nkuhlu picnic site.

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