The white rhino
A famous rescue story.
Wegmann — CC BY-SA 3.0 · C. Brück — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard DUPONT — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Darren Glanville — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bgabel — CC BY-SA 3.0
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is a reserve of 960 square kilometres of hills in central KwaZulu-Natal, established on 30 April 1895 and regarded as the oldest reserve in Africa. It is run by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and is the only state-run park in the province where all of the Big Five occur. The story of the southern white rhino matters especially here. Hunting nearly wiped it out in the 19th century, and by 1895 it was believed extinct, until a small group was found and protected in these reserves. Numbers recovered enough for the warden Ian Player to launch Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, which moved hundreds to found new populations. Poaching still threatens them severely. You drive on roads winding through green hills, savanna and valleys, and may see rhino, elephant, buffalo and giraffe. Wild dogs have been brought back to the park. It has two main camps: Hilltop in the north, the first built, in 1934, and Mpila in the south. There are marked picnic spots where you may leave your car. It is 48 km in a straight line from the town of St Lucia, so it works as a day trip by car. Stay in the car outside marked spots, and keep to the strict gate times. Start at opening, as animals are most active in the morning, and the dry months make them easier to see. Ask your doctor about malaria prevention before you travel.
A famous rescue story.
Wide green views.
The first, from 1934.
Central KwaZulu-Natal, Nyalazi gate
It is regarded as such, having been established in 1895.
Ask your doctor about prevention before travelling, especially for the wet months.