At Londolozi, the ancient art of tracking doesn’t just survive—it thrives. For many guests, watching their tracker at work becomes one of the most memorable parts of the safari. There’s something extraordinary about the quiet way these experts interpret the land, reading stories written in dust and dew, mud and shadow. It’s one of the most unique and authentic safari experiences.

Spending time on foot with your tracker is right up there with the best experiences Londolozi has to offer. Their knowledge and instinct often border on the mythical—but every step is grounded in deep understanding, relentless practice, and a lifelong connection to nature.

As someone who has developed a keen interest in tracking, I seize every chance to get out of the vehicle and learn more. There’s something magnetic about the detail in a single footprint—how much it can tell you, if you know how to listen.

The Language of Tracks

What makes tracking so compelling is the level of detail you can extract from what, at first glance, looks like nothing more than a mark in the sand. A single set of tracks can tell you:

• The species that passed through
• Its sex and approximate age
• How fast it was moving
• In which direction it was heading
• How long ago it was there
• Whether it was alone or part of a group

Every step leaves a clue. Piece them together, and they become a trail—and more often than not, that trail leads to unforgettable moments.

But like everything in the wild, tracking changes with the seasons. Each time of year offers different conditions, challenges, and opportunities and learning how to adapt your approach is part of the craft. Let’s take a walk through the seasons and explore how tracking changes throughout the year.

A picture of a thousand words

Summer (November to March)

The Wet Season – Fresh But Fleeting

Summer in the Lowveld brings lush greenery and dramatic storms. For trackers, this season is a double-edged sword.

Rain brings life to the bush, but also poses unique challenges for trackers. Heavy rain often washes tracks away, making them difficult to find. But the flipside is exciting: if you do find a track after the rain, it’s likely very fresh—maybe only minutes old. These moments can lead to fast-paced, high-stakes tracking, especially for big cats.

As the sun returns and bakes the earth dry, the ground can harden, leaving little impression behind. On top of that, the tall grasses of summer reduce visibility, making off-road tracking more challenging.

Still, it’s not impossible. When larger groups of animals—like lions—move through the grass, they leave behind a trail of flattened vegetation, a subtle but readable path for the trained eye.

An afternoon storm rolls over the grasslands of Londolozi, cloaking the landscape in drama and anticipation

Autumn (Late March to April)

The Transition Period

Autumn is the season of subtle change. The rains begin to slow, grasses thin out, and the ground starts to firm up. It’s not the easiest time for tracking, but not the hardest, either.

This in-between phase offers the chance to sharpen your skills without the extremes of wet or dry. Trackers begin adapting to the coming winter conditions, and the bush starts to feel more open again.

Winter (May to August)

The Ideal Time for Clarity

Winter is widely considered the best season for tracking.

With no rain to disturb them, tracks stay intact for longer, especially in soft, sandy areas. The vegetation dies back, making visibility excellent, and the cool weather makes walking far more pleasant.

But clearer isn’t always simpler.

Because footprints can last for days, it takes real skill to judge how fresh they are. A lion’s footprint might look brand new, but it could be from a day—or even two—ago.

Fresh lion tracks in the soft sand help us to determine the direction and intent of the pride as we begin our early morning game drive.

This is where the true skill of the tracker shines. The use of subtle overlaps to build a timeline—if a genet, water thick-knee, or civet has stepped on top of the lion’s track, that’s a clue, as those animals are all nocturnal. The timeline very much helps determine whether the tracks are worth following.

This layering of information is what elevates tracking from a skill to an art form.

Spring (Mid-August to September)

The Most Challenging Time of Year

Spring is unpredictable and often unforgiving.

Spring in the bush is unpredictable. It’s our ‘windy season’, which creates difficult conditions for tracking. Fresh tracks may only remain clear for a few minutes before being erased by blowing dust or leaves. This makes ageing tracks in real time incredibly tricky.

When walking in the bush, being able to hear is just as important as seeing. Wind muffles sound, making it harder to hear alarm calls, breaking branches, or movement from large animals like elephants or buffalo. For this reason, spring is often considered the most difficult.

It was a very windy afternoon as a Majingalane Male Lion sat facing head on into the wind as the sun started setting in the background. 

The Joy of the Trail

Each season presents its own obstacles. Winter generally offers the easiest tracking conditions, but a skilled tracker knows that conditions can shift from moment to moment. Though a good tracker will always double-check and confirm whether tracks are truly fresh before committing to the search.

So next time you’re on safari at Londolozi, ask your tracker to stop and show you a set of prints. Spend a few quiet minutes interpreting them. Try to guess the animal, the direction, and the pace. Learn the language.

Trev explains what tracks he found on the road to two guests. He is a very patient teacher and loves sharing his craft with others

Even if you never find what you’re tracking, the act of following deepens your connection to the bush. And when you do follow the trail to its source, the reward goes far beyond the sighting itself.

It’s the feeling of discovery—and the thrill of seeing the wilderness through the eyes of someone who can read its every step.

Misty winter mornings with a sunrise over the Sand River.