On April 30th, 1995, then President Nelson Mandela visited the then Hluhluwe Game Reserve to celebrate the parks Centenary.
The park is home to Africa's Big Five Game: Elephant, Rhinoceros (Black/Hook-lipped and White/Square-lipped), Cape Buffalo, Lion, Leopard. Several other species include Giraffe, Baboons, Blue Vervet Monkeys, Warthog, Wild Dog, Crocodiles, Cheetah, Kudu and is one of the world's top spots for viewing Nyala. The park is home to hundreds of species of birds and is the birthplace of rhino-reservation, breeding the species back from extinction (less than 20 rhinos world wide in 1900 to more than 10,000 today).
Hluhluwe Umfolozi was originally three separate reserves that joined under its' current title in 1989.
Facts
- The entrance to the Hluhluwe/Umfolozi Game Reserve is approximately 60km from St Lucia and makes up part of the Elephant Coast but is outside the boundaries of the Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park.
- This 96 000ha park was established in 1895 and is considered one of the oldest game reserves in Africa.
- This Big 5 (elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion) game reserve was the hunting grounds for Zulu kings such as Shaka. Conservation laws were introduced to protect the wildlife for future generations to view.
- The Hluhluwe and Umfolozi game reserves are joined and function as one reserve with only a once off payment for the day at the gate.
- The main roads in the game reserve are tarred but there are gravel roads that turn off the main route.
Images from Extreme Nature Tours - www.extremenaturetours.co.za
