The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is one of South Africa’s prime, undiscovered wilderness jewels, and home to Africa’s Big Five – in an area of wide biodiversity ranging from savannah woodlands to grasslands and riverine glades.

The reserve was established in 1956 by likeminded landowners. Today it forms part of one of the largest game reserves in the world, the Kruger National Park. A unique feature of the Timbavati is the low density of commercialisation. The game lodges are dedicated to preserving the sense of true wilderness. The Timbavati is a leader in conservation initiatives and research and is committed to the upliftment of local communities.

The White Lions of the Timbavati were first discovered by Chris McBride on the Hugo property in the late 1970s. While he was studying the White Lions, Chris and his wife Charlotte helped build and set up Tanda Tula in its initial phase of development. The first pride to produce White Lion cubs was the Machaton Pride, a pride that still exists today and their core territory continues to be based on the Tanda Tula property.

White Lions are still being born to various prides throughout the Timabavati. However, due to their conspicuous white colour their survival rate is very low. Our rangers continuously monitor the lion dynamics in the region, and updates are provided in the Rangers’ Diary on this website.