4eme7 Travel Bloggers: SOUTH AFRICA

The Kruger Wildlife Park

The Kruger National Park is the largest game reserve in South Africa. Its size is comparable to those of Israel or Wales. It covers more than 20,000 km2, it is 350 km long from north to south and 60 km wide from east to west. The park is located in the north-eastern Transvaal. It is bordered to the west and south by the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, northern Zimbabwe, and to the east by Mozambique. It covers most of the eastern low territories.

The park is now combined with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, the great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

Parts of the Kruger park

In 1896, under the leadership of President Paul Kruger, the Transvaal parliament approved the principle of a small animal reserve near the Sabie River.

In 1898, the Sabie Game Reserve was created.

After the Second Boer War in 1902, Major James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed as the first keeper of the reserve. A few months later, the reserve grew between the Sabie River and Olifants River areas.

In 1903, the northern area was built in protection against hunters under the name Singwitsi Game Reserve including a triangle of land between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers meeting the borders of Mozambique, South Africa and Southern Rhodesia area (later Zimbabwe).

Bust of Paul Kruger surrounded by Piet Grobler and those of James Stevenson-Hamilton camp Skukuza

The Kruger National Park is divided into six ecosystems, 1982 species of plants. There are also over 517 species of birds among which 253 are permanent residents. There is a wide variety of other birds, many of which are present in this park in South Africa.

Ducks, Storks, Herons, Raptors, Pigeons, Parrots, Weavers, Larks, Ostriches, Guinea Fowls, Metal Merles.