Africa has the world's largest and most varied stock of wildlife. At MILIMA you have optimal conditions for experiencing the wildlife in its natural environment and if you are in luck you will see "The Big 5", which is an old hunting term for elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino.

Why are big animals like giraffe and hippos not included, you might think. The answer is that the term "Big 5" is not about size but about the difficulty in hunting them and the degree of danger involved.

This is also why it is only the black rhino, which is included in "The Big 5" although it is actually smaller than the white rhino. Both rhinoceros species are found around MILIMA though.

The best way to experience all the animals is to go with a professional ranger.

The experienced team of rangers at MILIMA are trained to read the animals' languages. A broken twig, the remnants of a carrion, excrement or a footprint void the animals' movements - they can tell you all about the signs of nature.

The elephant, for example, leaves a footstep of 50 cm in width, the white rhino has a size 30 cm in shoes closely followed by the hippo, which sets a footstep of 28 cm.

Despite its height, the giraffe only has 20 cm hooves, and the king of animals and his lioness only have a paw print of 14 cm.

MILIMA is one of the best spots in South Africa to view the magnificent African elephant as the lodge is facing two large waterholes, that never dries out.

The rhino population is considered safe here, as MILIMA is working together with the South African Government's anti-poaching unit to protect the rhinos in the area from poachers. Our 10,000 ha are patrolled every night, to protect the rhino in its natural habitat.

Our game reserve is also large enough to sustain the big cats and buffalos are abundant in the area too.