uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park
KwaZulu-Natal · Year-round
10 places
Wildlife
Leopard Tortoise
Stigmochelys pardalis
The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape.
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
Records6,814 records
Curve from 6,814 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.
Where you'll find it
Western Cape and beyond
Provinces where Leopard Tortoise is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.
6,814 records, iNaturalist
Parks where hosts record the Leopard Tortoise
Stays that give back
Across South Africa
Ouberg Private Nature Reserve
Montagu
From R 350a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Satara Plains Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 11,980a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Zwartberg View Mountain Lodge
Oudtshoorn
From R 5,060a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Mdluli Safari Lodge
Kruger National Park
From R 10,670a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge
Kruger National Park
From R 17,400a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Singita Ebony Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Dulini Moya
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
From R 28,990a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kruger Untamed - Tshokwane River Camp
Kruger National Park
From R 17,500a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Singita Boulders Lodge
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Langebos Huts
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,093a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Grootkolk Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Plains Camp @ Rhino Walking Safaris
Mpumalanga
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Bitterpan Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Wilderness Ebb-and-Flow Rest Camp
Garden Route National Park
From R 287a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Izingwe Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Spekboom Tented Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 1,490a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Nyathi Rest Camp
Addo Elephant National Park
From R 2,901a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Inzalo Safari Lodge
Welgevonden Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kieliekrankie Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Gharagab Wilderness Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,634a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Lehele Lodge at Gondwana Game Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Augrabies Falls Rest Camp
Augrabies Falls National Park
From R 362a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kalahari Tented Camp
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
From R 2,314a night
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
Kwena Lodge at Gondwana Game Reserve
Gondwana Game Reserve
Price on request
Leopard Tortoise recorded here
The Drakensberg
Next stop
Sandstone amphitheatres and cool mountain air
See places that give backPlanning a trip
When and where to find the Leopard Tortoise
Hosts have recorded the Leopard Tortoise at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Addo Elephant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uKhahlamba-Drakensberg | Here | Here | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Here | Here | Here |
| Kgalagadi | Here | Here | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing | Easiest viewing |
Darker months are each park's own best season, when thinner bush or scarce water makes viewing easier. A sighting is never guaranteed.
Best hours of the day
- The warm hours of the day. The Leopard Tortoise needs the sun's warmth before it moves.
- Cold mornings and nights. Tucked away until the day warms up.
Where to base yourself
KwaZulu-Natal
uKhahlamba-Drakensberg · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi · Giants Castle
KwaZulu-NatalBig FiveStays in KwaZulu-NatalNorthern Cape
Kgalagadi · Augrabies Falls
Northern CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Northern CapeLimpopo
Kruger · Welgevonden
LimpopoBig FiveSelf-driveGuided drivesStays in LimpopoEastern Cape
Addo Elephant
Eastern CapeBig FiveSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Eastern Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Guided drives from a lodge
A guide who knows where to look, with off-road and night drives in the private reserves.
Where hosts record it
Species
Stigmochelys pardalis
Records
6,814
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Leopard Tortoise on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Leopard Tortoise in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Leopard Tortoise at stays in or beside uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Addo Elephant National Park, Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Kruger National Park and Gondwana Game Reserve and other reserves. 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 Leopard Tortoise in South Africa?
The Leopard Tortoise is most recorded in Western Cape (30% of records), Eastern Cape (16% of records), Limpopo (15% of records), based on 6,814 iNaturalist observations. 45 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Leopard Tortoise on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Leopard Tortoise?
The Leopard Tortoise 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. uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: year-round, dry season May-Sep; Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: Aug-Oct, flowers, Mar-May; Addo Elephant National Park: year-round, best Mar-May, Sep-Nov; Sabi Sand Game Reserve: year-round, dry season May-Sep optimal. In the dry months animals concentrate at water and the grass is short.
What is the Leopard Tortoise?
The leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis) is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only member of the genus Stigmochelys, although in the past it was commonly placed in Geochelone. This tortoise is a grazing species that favors semi-arid, thorny to grassland habitats.
