Kusini Plains

The topography of Kusini is a rich mosaic of long-grass plains, rolling hills, and granite kopjes. The presence of several perennial springs ensures that the area remains vibrant even when other parts of the plains begin to dry. As you move toward the Kusini Airstrip, the landscape shifts into the beginning of the western woodlands, dominated by “whistling thorn” acacias. These trees have evolved ingenious defense mechanisms, including long prickly thorns and symbiotic relationships with ants, to survive the intense pressure from the region’s many browsers.

The overlapping ecosystems of Kusini create a year-round wildlife powerhouse with several unique highlights:

• The Grazing Succession: Kusini is one of the best places to observe “grazing succession.” Heavy grazers like elephants and buffalo trample coarse grasses, making them palatable for zebra and wildebeest, who in turn prepare the land for light herbivores like gazelles and warthogs.
• The “Kusini Crater” and Big Cats: The secret crater is a magnet for large concentrations of wildlife, particularly cheetahs, who use the surrounding forest edge for cover. The area also supports two resident lion prides; the larger pride, often found near the airstrip, numbers well over 20 individuals.
• Rare Hyenas and Predators: While spotted hyenas are common, the Kusini woodlands are one of the few places to spot the extremely rare striped hyena. You may also find the banded mongoose scurrying through the undergrowth or the Verreaux’s eagle-owl perched in the canopy.
• The Great Stork Migration: From October to April, the long-grass plains are blanketed by hundreds of thousands of white storks migrating from Europe and Russia. They descend on Kusini to feast on population explosions of grasshoppers and caterpillars.
• Resident Giants: Thanks to the perennial springs and woodland cover, resident populations of elephant, giraffe, buffalo, and impala remain in the area year-round, independent of the Great Migration’s movement.