Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Northern Cape · Best Aug to Oct
9 places
Wildlife
Yellow Mongoose
Cynictis penicillata
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family averaging about 1 lb (1/2 kg) in weight and about 20 in (500 mm) in length.
Species insights
When to visit
Recorded year-round
Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.
Best monthsAny month
Recorded in Northern Cape~432 records
Curve from 1,962 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property and not from this province. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Eastern Cape and beyond
Provinces where Yellow Mongoose is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
1,963 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Yellow Mongoose
Stays that give back
Across the Northern Cape
Twee Rivieren Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Sendelingsdrif Rest Camp
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Mata-Mata Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Motswedi Camp Site
Mokala National Park
From R 628a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Kokerboomkloof Camp Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 311a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Skilpad Rest Camp
Namaqua National Park
From R 953a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Mosu Lodge
Mokala National Park
From R 1,401a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Nossob Rest Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 450a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Gharagab Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Augrabies Falls Rest Camp
Augrabies Falls National Park
From R 362a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Lilydale Rest Camp
Mokala National Park
From R 1,206a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Kalahari Tented Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,314a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
Urikaruus Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
De Hoop Camping Site
Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park
From R 373a night
Yellow Mongoose recorded here
More stays nearby
Rooikloof Guest Farm
Sutherland
From R 1,600a night
Richmond Rooms
Richmond
From R 1,230a night
Mooifontein Farm
Colesberg
From R 1,486a night
Frontier River Resort
Northern Cape
From R 2,050a night
Tankwa Karoo Rest Camp
Tankwa Karoo National Park
From R 192a night
Elandsberg Rest Camp
Tankwa Karoo National Park
From R 1,741a night
The Apollis Cottage
Concordia, Springbok
From R 1,700a night
The Karoo
Next stop
South Africa's vast inland heart: silence, stars, and wide horizons
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Yellow Mongoose
Hosts have recorded the Yellow Mongoose at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and Mokala National Park.
When to go, park by park
Here all yearEasiest viewing
| Park | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
| Ai-Ais/Richtersveld | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Species
Cynictis penicillata
Records
1,963
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Yellow Mongoose on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Yellow Mongoose in Northern Cape?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Yellow Mongoose at stays in or beside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, Mokala National Park, Augrabies Falls National Park and Namaqua National Park. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Yellow Mongoose in South Africa?
The Yellow Mongoose is most recorded in Eastern Cape (28% of records), Northern Cape (22% of records), Gauteng (19% of records), based on 1,963 iNaturalist observations. 17 places to stay on Spekboom in Northern Cape have recorded the Yellow Mongoose on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Yellow Mongoose?
The Yellow Mongoose is recorded throughout the year, so no month is the wrong month to look for it. For the parks where hosts record it most, these are the best seasons they give. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Mokala National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Augrabies Falls National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Namaqua National Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the conservation status of the Yellow Mongoose?
The Yellow Mongoose (Cynictis penicillata) is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
What is the Yellow Mongoose?
The yellow mongoose (Cynictis penicillata), sometimes referred to as the red meerkat, is a member of the mongoose family averaging about 1 lb (1/2 kg) in weight and about 20 in (500 mm) in length. It lives in open country, from semi-desert scrubland to grasslands in Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.