Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, formerly Hluhluwe–Umfolozi Game Reserve, is a nature reserve in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It consists of of hilly topography and is the oldest reserve in Africa. Operated by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the park is the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal where each of the big five game animals occur. However, this population remains severely threatened by poaching. The area is claimed to have been declared a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom in the time of Shaka.

Historically, tsetse flies carrying the nagana disease protected the area from colonial hunters. Later, as the Zululand area was settled by white farmers, wildlife in the reserves was blamed for the prevalence of the tsetse fly, and the reserves became experimental areas in the efforts to eradicate the fly. Farmers called for the slaughter of game and over 100,000 animals were killed in the reserves between 1919 and 1950, although the rhino population was spared. The introduction of DDT spraying in 1945 virtually eliminated the tsetse fly from the reserves, although subsequent outbreaks have occurred.

By the 1950s the white rhino population of the reserve had recovered to around 400, and the park's warden, Ian Player, established Operation Rhino in the 1950s and 60s, with the park's Rhino Capture Unit relocating hundreds of rhinos to establish populations in other reserves across their historic range.

Umfolozi

This area is situated between the two Umfolozi Rivers where they divide into the Mfolozi emnyama ('Black Umfolozi') to the north and the Mfolozi emhlophe ('White Umfolozi') to the south. This area is to the south of the park and is generally hot in summer, and mild to cool in winter, although cold spells do occur. including: Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, south African cheetah, spotted hyena, blue wildebeest, jackal, South African giraffe, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, nyala, common eland, greater kudu, impala, duiker, suni, reedbuck, common warthog, bushpig, mongoose, baboon, monkeys, a variety of tortoises, terrapins, snakes and lizards. Hluhluwe–Imfolozi has implemented Smart Park which facilitates the integration of systems, including drone technology, for early detection and rapid response of reaction units. On 6 March 2020 two of three suspected rhino poachers were killed in a shootout after they were detected by infrared cameras. In 2022, 244 rhinos were poached in the province, 228 of them in the park. In 2023, the reserve was the worst hit in South Africa; The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, said "We have to be concerned that almost every single day this year a rhino has been killed in Hluhluwe Imfolozi."

African wild dog

In 1981, the Natal Parks board (now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife) attempted to reintroduce African wild dogs into the park. Twenty-three dogs were released in the reserve, most of which had been bred in zoos. However this met with limited success and by 2015, the population had fluctuated between 3 and 30 individuals. Further dogs were released into the park in 2022.

Facilities

The first visitor camp was built at Hilltop in 1934, and is now the main camp in the northern (Hluhluwe) section of the park. The main camp in the southern (Umfolozi) section is Mpila. The reserve has a road network.

See also

  • Hluhluwe creeper
  • Protected areas of South Africa
  • South African National Parks

References

  • Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife