City
Pretoria
🇿🇦 South Africa
Africa, South Africa 382 spp. recorded
Pretoria is the executive capital of South Africa, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to the country. Wikipedia
25.754° S 28.232° E
🦜 Nature
382 Species sighted
21,052 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Apr Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Grey Foam-nest Treefrog
Chiromantis xerampelina
LC
Boettger's dainty frog
Cacosternum boettgeri
LC
Natal sand frog
Tomopterna natalensis
LC
Fenoulhet's Toad
Poyntonophrynus fenoulheti
LC
Painted Reed Frog
Hyperolius marmoratus
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Southern African Hedgehog
Atelerix frontalis
Recent sightings in Pretoria
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Austin Roberts Bird Sanct
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Faerie Glen Nature Reserve
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Pretoria National Botanical Garden
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Strubendam Bird Sanctuary
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Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve
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University of Pretoria · Main Campus
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
51Jan
55Feb
52Mar
57Apr
49May
40Jun
40Jul
42Aug
42Sep
51Oct
52Nov
51Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
2%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
12
areasWildlife spots
6
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.7
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 611
🐒 Mammals 149
🦎 Reptiles 122
🐸 Amphibians 34
916 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
36 Threatened 4 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
4.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
66% 📊
Coverage (151 species at ≥5% of 916 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 reptile)
20% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
10 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
19 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.9
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 2% land Medium
Protected areas 12 High
Wildlife spots 6 Medium
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Pretoria?
382 species
Pretoria's urban area has 382 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Laughing Dove (about 80%), Hadada (about 80%), Common Bulbul (about 80%), Southern Masked Weaver (about 70%) and Karoo Thrush (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Rock Hyrax (about 30%); among reptiles, Cape Dwarf Gecko (about 50%); among amphibians, African Split-skin Toad (about 30%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Pretoria?
February, April–September and November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in March, October and December–January.
Can you see a Karoo Thrush in Pretoria?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Karoo Thrush sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 690 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February, August and November (about 80%).
Can you see a Cape Sparrow in Pretoria?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Sparrow sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 558 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June and July (about 80%).
Can you see a Southern Masked Weaver in Pretoria?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Southern Masked Weaver sighting in Pretoria on a given day, based on 630 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July to December (about 80%).
Where in Pretoria is wildlife easiest to see?
Austin Roberts Bird Sanct
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Austin Roberts Bird Sanct (111 bird species recorded), followed by Faerie Glen Nature Reserve and Pretoria National Botanical Garden. See them on the map.
Is Pretoria good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Pretoria gets 4.8/5: 20th of 380 cities worldwide and 3rd in Africa. 25 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data