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KRUGER
NATIONAL PARK
Where nearly 2 million
hectares of unrivalled diversity of life forms fuses with historical and
archaeological sights – this is real Africa.The world-renowned Kruger National
Park offers a wildlife experience that ranks with the best in Africa.
Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this
national park of nearly 2 million hectares, SANParks - Kruger National Park is
unrivalled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced
environmental management techniques and policies.
Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an
impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles,
507 birds and 147 mammals. Man's interaction with the Lowveld environment over
many centuries - from bushman rock paintings to majestic archaeological sites
like Masorini and Thulamela - is very evident in the Kruger National Park. These
treasures represent the cultures, persons and events that played a role in the
history of the Kruger National Park and are conserved along with the park's
natural assets.
Vegetation and
Climate.
The Kruger National Park is generally flat to gently undulating, with average
height of 260 metres (853 feet) above sea level, with its most mountainous areas
being along the eastern boundary, formed by the Lebombo Mountains. Sixteen
distinct landscapes provide a multitude of habitats for the Kruger Park's
inhabitants. Located in the Southern Hemisphere, the Kruger Park has its share
of rain and hot weather. During the summer months (September-April), the Park
experiences sporadic rainfall in the form of quick thunder showers. April
through August represent the winter months in Southern Africa which in turn
means very little rain.As far as rainfall is concerned, the southern region
receives the largest amount of rainfall while the central plains receive the
least. The temperatures average from 30 C (86 F) in January (summer) to 23 C (73
F) in July (winter). Please be aware that the maximum temperature can reach 47 C
(117 F) (January) and 35 C (95 F) (July).For your information, the average
nightly temperature can range from 7-18 C (45-64 F) (January) and most certainly
freezing in July. It is highly advisable to wear 'breathable' clothes to avoid
heat exhaustion or stroke during the day, drink plenty of water and ensure that
appropriate clothing is available in the often cold nights.
Vegetation Zones
The varying climatic conditions impact on the type of vegetation in the
ecosystem that can survive and flourish in each vegetation zone. This of course
affects the distribution and population densities of the various animals - each
type favouring some or other ecosystem environment.
History of the Kruger National Park
The first explorer to set foot in the region was the Dutchman François de Cuiper
who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to explore. However, the
expedition was attacked and driven by local tribes-people near Gomondwane. Only
around 1838 Voortrekker expeditions led by Lous Trichardt and Hans van Rensburg
were able to successfully establish forward outposts. Hundreds of Europeans and
farmers came to the Lowveld lured by rumours of gold and the great quantity of
valuable commodities such as ivory and skins.
This caused the number of game to dramatically decrease due to hunting and
trading of animal skins and horns. President Paul Kruger was told about the
rapid destruction of wildlife in the area by hunters, after which he succeeded
to persuade the Transvaal parliament to establish a protected area for the
wildlife in the Lowveld region. The "Sabie Game Reserve”, bordered by the
Crocodile River in the south, the Sabie River in the north, the Lebombo
Mountains in the east and the Drakensberg Mountains in the west, which is now
the southern part of the Kruger National Park, was established in 1898.
These reserves would eventually expand into today's Kruger National Park. The
Anglo-Boer War stopped any further development of the reserve, but the British,
after winning the war, proceeded with the plan to develop the Sabie Game Reserve
and gave the task to major James Stevenson-Hamilton in 1902 to protect the
animals against hunters, ivory poachers and cattle farmers. The Park was opened
to the public in 1927 for visitors to view animals and plant life in a area
where they are protected. After the Anglo-Boer War, James Stevenson-Hamilton was
appointed as the first park warden. He spent the next 40 years protecting what
the war had destroyed. His actions are no doubt an ever-living contribution to
the Kruger National Park's current existence. In addition to his animal
conservation, James Stevenson Hamilton was also responsible for acquiring
another 10 000 hex acres for the reserve.
After World War I, the Kruger National Park was protected by the government of
South Africa and remains under the watchful eye of the government even today.
The very first ranger in the reserve was Paul Bester who made his residence in a
rustic rondavel (hut) which is now the site of the headquarters camp, Skukuza.
Documents concerning the History of the Kruger National Park can be viewed at
the Skukuza Library. Half a million years ago, the first San stone age hunters
roamed the plains in search of game. The modern day bush men have left
fascinating rock paintings all over the Republic of South Africa, and, Kruger
National Park contains over one hundred sites of these paintings. The Kruger
National Park is a living memorial to President Paul Kruger and those who have
upheld his vision of a protected wilderness reserve which will forever remind us
of that which we are so dangerously close to loosing.
A Short Natural and Cultural History·
There are almost 254 known cultural heritage sites in the Kruger National Park,
including nearly 130 recorded rock art sites.
- There is ample evidence that prehistoric man – Homo erectus roamed the
area between 500 000 and 100 000 years ago
- Cultural artefacts of Stone Age man have been found for the period 100
000 to 30 000 years ago.
- More than 300 archaeological sites of Stone Age man have been found
- Evidence of Bushman Folk (San) and Iron Age people from about 1500 years
ago is also in great evidence.
- There are also many historical tales of the presence of Nguni people and
European explorers and settlers in the Kruger area.
- There are significant archaeological ruins at Thulamela and Masorini
- There are numerous examples of San Art scattered throughout the park.
- The park was first proclaimed in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by the
then president of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. He first proposed the
need to protect the animals of the Lowveld in 1884, but his revolutionary
vision took another 12 years to be realised when the area between the Sabie
and Crocodile Rivers was set aside for restricted hunting.
- The Scottish born James Stevenson-Hamilton (born in 1867) was appointed
the park’s first warden on 1 July 1902.
- On 31 May 1926 the National Parks Act was proclaimed and with it the
merging of the Sabie and Shingwedzi Game Reserves into the Kruger National
Park. The first motorists entered the park in 1927 for a fee of one pound.
- Many accounts of the park’s early days can be found in the
Stevenson-Hamilton Memorial Library.
Gate
Hours
| Month |
Gates open |
Camps open |
Gates/Camps
closed |
| January |
05:30 |
04:30 |
18:30 |
| February |
05:30 |
05:30 |
18:30 |
| March |
05:30 |
06:00 |
18:00 |
| April |
06:00 |
06:00 |
18:00 |
| 1
May to 31 July |
06:00 |
06:00 |
17:30 |
| August
– September |
06:00 |
06:00 |
18:00 |
| October |
05:30 |
05:30 |
18:00 |
| 1
November – 31 December |
05:30 |
04:30 |
18:30 |
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