Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park covers 960 km2 area in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. The park, established in 1989, is an amalgamation of the Hluhluwe Game Reserve and Umfolozi Game Reserve. It explains the park’s unique terrain, the hilly topography of the Hluhluwe section, combined with the grasslands, woodland, and forests in the Umfolozi section.
Hluhluwe is known for a lot of things prime amongst them are it’s thriving conservation efforts, rich wildlife, and a gruesome history that speaks of senseless animal slaughter.
In 2008, the park was thriving with 1600 white rhinos, hundreds of which were relocated, nourishing the dwindling population in other regions. But in 2020, the park lost 28 rhino to these opportunist poachers, and on 6th March 2020, two poachers were killed in a shootout.
The park authorities have implemented high-tech security protocols using drones to detect and provide rapid response, to prevent any further occurrences of poaching activities.
The last known Rhinos count for Hluhluwe-Imfolozi park was 400 black rhinos and 1600 white rhinos. The park has flourished under conservation efforts such as ‘Operation Rhino’, ‘Lion Project’, elephant relocation, and introduction of wild dogs. Today, it is amongst the select few national parks that have a sizable Big Five population.
It is home to over 85 mammals, which include the Nile crocodile, blue wildebeest, jackal, kudu, suni, waterbuck, spotted hyena, and cheetah. It is also a fascinating birding destination with over 350 bird species, including black-bellied korhaan, Klaas’s cuckoo, night heron, and Wahlberg’s eagle.
Interestingly, the park is the only location in South Africa, where three of the longclaw species (rosy-throated, yellow-throated, and cape longclaw) are seen together.
Most of the accommodations near and in the park are self-catering accommodation. Nselweni Bush Camp, Masinda Lodge, Mtwazi Lodge, Munyawaneni Bush Lodge, Hlatikulu Bush Lodge, and Gqoyeni Bush Lodge, are some of the well-known camps in the area. We have listed below two of the largest camps in the park.
For game viewing, May to September is the best time to visit the Hluhluwe-imFolozi Game Reserve. It is the dry season, which thins out the vegetation, presenting tourists ample opportunities to view animals gathered around the water sources. For viewing the fantastic bird-life of the park, November to April is an ideal time to visit the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park.
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