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68-701: Sabi Sand Game Reserve is located adjacent to the Kruger National Park in the Lowveld of Mpumalanga , South Africa . Officially named Sabi Sand Wildtuin , the Sabi Sand Game Reserve consists of a group of private game reserves. The Newington Gate is at 24°52′9″S 31°24′16″E  /  24.86917°S 31.40444°E  / -24.86917; 31.40444 and west of the Kruger Gate and Skukuza camp of Kruger Park. Other entrances are Gowrie Gate in

136-471: A Seeker II drone against rhino poachers, which was loaned to the South African National Parks authority by its manufacturer Denel Dynamics , South Africa. In June 2019, a Helix surveillance aircraft system was deployed on night missions in the park, and apprehended half a dozen suspected poachers. Other threats to poachers include the dangerous nature of the park itself. In February 2018,

204-482: A Kruger game ranger and policeman were the first to die in an anti-poaching operation, while other employees reported intimidation by poachers. A Kruger personnel strike affected some anti-poaching operations, and some employees have been directly implicated. Rangers in and around the park have been pressured or blackmailed by poaching syndicates to provide intelligence on the whereabouts of rhinos and anti-poaching operations. In December 2012, Kruger started using

272-584: A depressing retrogression had occurred in terms of discipline, management and faunal preservation in both the Sabi and Singwitsi Reserves. In expectation of a government buyout of the land in these reserves, the Singwitsi and Sabi became the Transvaal Game Reserve in 1923, then still privately owned to a large extent. Deneys Reitz , Minister of Lands from 1921 to 1924, and his successor Piet Grobler , advocated

340-423: A local elephant bull named "Shingwedzi" are now displayed in the museum at Letaba . Shingwedzi died in 1981 near the camp, and was one of the so-called "magnificent seven" that roamed the park during the 1970s and 80s. Other Afrotheria which are sparsely resident include the aardvark , Petrodromus , two Elephantulus species and the golden mole . Two species of hyrax are allopatrically distributed, namely

408-401: A necessary milestone in stemming the tide between South Africa and Vietnam, in addition to the one with China, while negotiations have not yet started with Thailand. The amount of rhino horn held in storage is not publicly known. Since 2009, some Kruger rhinos have been fitted with invisible tracing devices in their bodies and horns which enable officials to locate their carcasses and to track

476-637: A poacher was believed to have been trampled by elephants and then eaten by lions, leaving rangers to later find only a human skull and a pair of trousers, alongside a loaded hunting rifle. In December 2021, two accused poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park's Skukuza after they were discovered in possession of unauthorized rifles and ammunition. Poachers make no distinction between white and black rhinos, but losses of black rhinos are low due to their reclusive and aggressive nature. Rhino horn fetches between $ 66,000 and $ 82,000 per kilogram, and

544-500: A poor manager of his native staff. He also developed poor relations with government officials of the district. An additional ranger, J. J. Coetsee, arrived in 1919 from East Africa. He established his ranger's post at the foot of Dimbo Kop in the far north. This he named Punda Maria, perhaps a playful corruption of phande mariha (or "border of the winter"), the alleged Venda appellation for this region. When Stevenson-Hamilton returned from Sudan to South Africa in 1920, he observed that

612-552: A specific route. It enables small groups of visitors to explore areas like the Mphongolo River, Bububu River, Phonda Hills, sodic pans or stone-walled ruins. The name of the river, Mphongolo, commemorates a former Venda chief, Mapongole. Rainfall is almost entirely restricted to the summer months (October to April), and normally amounts to about 500 mm per annum. The Shingwedzi River flows only during summer, and diminishes to shrinking pools in winter. Heavy rains are normal at

680-746: A very good example. South of the Olifants River in the park's eastern half, this area provides the most important grazing land. Species such as red grass ( Themeda triandra ) and buffalo grass ( Panicum maximum ) predominate while the knob-thorn ( Acacia nigrescens ), leadwood ( Combretum imberbe ) and marula ( Sclerocarya afra ) are the main tree species. Several smaller areas in the park carry distinctive vegetation. The Pretoriuskop sourveld and Malelane mountain bushveld receive relatively high rainfall. Here sickle bush and silver cluster-leaf ( Terminalia sericea ) are prominent. The sandveld communities northeast of Punda Maria are equally distinctive, with

748-451: A week than the Africans in a year. They had apparently exterminated all the elephant, rhino and eland during the war , and regarded game laws and ordinances as "waste paper", while having "no sporting instincts and no sense of honour as a rule". From 1904 to 1919 major A. A. Fraser was his only ranger in Singwitsi. The eccentric, red-bearded Fraser was recruited from Scotland as ranger for

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816-459: A wide variety of unique plant species. The bush-clad hills along the Levuvhu River also shelter an interesting floral diversity and some near-endemic species. All the big five game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve (at 147 species). There are webcams set up to observe the wildlife. Kruger supports packs of

884-520: Is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa . It covers an area of 19,623 km (7,576 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa , and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza . Areas of the park were first protected by

952-620: Is not exempt from the threat of poaching that many other African countries have faced. Many poachers are in search of ivory from elephant tusks or rhino horns, which are similar in composition to human fingernails. The park's anti-poaching unit consists of 650 SANParks game rangers , assisted by the SAPS and the SANDF (including the SAAF ). As of 2013, the park is equipped with two drones borrowed from Denel and two Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopters, donated by

1020-545: Is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 km (7,523 sq mi). The park is approximately 360 km (220 mi) long, and has an average width of 65 km (40 mi). At its widest point, the park is 90 km (56 mi) wide from east to west. To the north and south of the park two rivers, the Limpopo River and the Crocodile respectively, act as their natural boundaries. To

1088-642: Is planned near the western border of the park. Floods or raising of the walls of the Massingir and Corumana dams in Mozambique could potentially damage, by silting, the pristine gorges of the Olifants and Sabie rivers respectively. The Olifants River Gorge has a deep, single thread, pool-rapid structure which is home to many crocodiles, besides hippos and fish. The fish population of the Olifants has already been diminished by hundreds of dams in its upper reaches. Kruger

1156-607: Is situated just south of the camp. The Kanniedood Dam was constructed 9km downstream of the camp in 1978, but was demolished 40 years later, in 2018, in line with a rehabilitation project which aims to limit artificial water points for animals. The artificial supply of water in a naturally dry region caused erosion and environmental degradation. Rare herbivore species such as roan suffered due to increased grazing competition by abundant grazers, and from predation by lions which likewise expanded their territories. The Mphongolo Backpack Trail starts from Shingwedzi Camp, but doesn't follow

1224-456: Is subject to several threats, including intensive poaching, urban development at its borders, global warming and droughts, animal overpopulation, and mining projects. Light pollution produced by rest camps and nearby towns affects the biodiversity of Kruger National Park. In particular, it alters the composition of nocturnal wildlife and the hunting behaviour of predators. In 2022 it was announced that Nkosi City , an R8 billion development

1292-743: Is the first instance of a termitophilous species from the family Armadillidae . Many species of mosquito occur in the park, including the Culex , Aedes and Anopheles genera which target mammals. A. arabiensis is the most prevalent of the 9 or more Anopheles species in the park, and their females transmit malaria . As of 2018, 350 species of arachnids , excluding ticks and mites, are known from Kruger. These are mostly true spiders , including 7 species of baboon spider , but also 9 scorpion and 7 pseudoscorpion species, 18 solifugid species (sun and roman spiders), 2 species of harvestmen and 1 species of tailless whip scorpion . The park's ecosystem

1360-704: The Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere , an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve . Sabi Game Reserve was initially created to control hunting and to protect the diminishing number of animals in

1428-617: The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park . The national anti-poaching committee oversees all activities and coordinates interested parties. Kruger's big game poachers operate with night vision instruments and large caliber rifles, fitted with suppressors and sophisticated telescopic sights . They are mostly Mozambique citizens who initiate their carefully planned incursions from the border region of South Africa and Mozambique. In 2012, about 200 poachers were apprehended, while about 30 were killed in skirmishes. In July 2012,

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1496-712: The Levuvhu and Crook's Corner. From the Limpopo it ran south along the Portuguese border to the Olifants , and west along the Letaba to the aforementioned confluence. The remote and beautiful reserve could boast with hills topped by baobab trees, the dramatic Lanner and Olifants gorges, lush riparian vegetation, plains with impressive mopane trees, and flood plains adorned with ilala palms and fever trees . Major James Stevenson-Hamilton

1564-552: The Makuleke people by the government in 1969 and about 1500 of them were relocated to land to the south so that their original tribal areas could be integrated into the greater Kruger National Park. In 1996 the Makuleke tribe submitted a land claim for 198.42 km (19,842 ha), namely the Pafuri or Makuleke region in the northernmost part of the park. The land was given back to

1632-707: The Pafuri triangle. In 1926, Sabi Game Reserve, the adjacent Shingwedzi Game Reserve, and farms were combined to create Kruger National Park. During 1923, the first large groups of tourists started visiting the Sabi Game Reserve, but only as part of the South African Railways ' popular "Round in Nine" tours. The tourist trains travelled the Selati railway line between Komatipoort on the Mozambican border and Tzaneen in

1700-467: The RAF to augment its air space presence. Automated movement sensors relay intrusions along the Mozambique border to a control center, and a specialist dog unit has been introduced. Buffer zones have been established along the border with Mozambique, from where many poachers have infiltrated the park, as an alternative to costly new fences. The original 150 km long fences were dropped in 2002 to establish

1768-519: The Sabie , Olifants , Letaba and Luvuvhu while the Crocodile River (Mpumalanga) and Limpopo River run along the parks border. The climate of the Kruger National Park and lowveld is subtropical/tropical, specifically a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSh ). Summer days are humid and hot. The rainy season is from September until May. The Kruger National Park website lists September and October as

1836-407: The endangered African wild dog , of which there are thought to be only about 400 in the whole of South Africa. A fairly uniform aggregate of bird species is present from the southern to central areas of the park, but a decline in diversity is noticeable in the mopane -dominated flats northwards of the Olifants . Most species breed in summer when rains sustain most vegetable and animal food, but

1904-619: The war , suggested the establishment of a reserve to sir Godfrey Lagden of the Department of Native Affairs. The Administrative Proclamation No. 19 of May 1903 which established the Singwitsi Reserve, also brought an end to the lawless exploitation of the region. The reserve boundary went from the Groot and Klein Letaba confluence in a straight line north to Shikumdu Hill, turning northeastwards to

1972-555: The yellow-spotted hyrax which occurs commonly along the northern bush-clad hills and sandstone outcrops, and the rock hyrax , which occurs patchily southwards of the Bubube and Shingwedzi Rivers , but no further south than the Olifants . Ranger D. Swart reported seeing a group of six bat-eared foxes near Shingwedzi in 1967, a species previously thought to be restricted to the western parts of southern Africa . Further sightings in 1967 and 1969 confirmed their presence. The affinities of

2040-447: The 1980s. Due to international and national efforts, including a worldwide ban on ivory sales beginning in 1989, the poaching was abated for many years, but a sharp rise in 2014 has continued and the numbers of elephants poached per year in the park is growing at an alarming rate. Following approval by CITES, 47 tonnes of stockpiled ivory from Kruger were auctioned on 6 November 2008. The sale fetched approximately US$ 6.7 million which

2108-469: The 20th and airlifted to safety the next day. Some staff were trapped as roads became submerged and survived by taking shelter in trees or on roofs. Some staff and tourists lost all their belongings, and the cost of rebuilding was over R150 million. The camp was reopened for tourists in June 2013. The camp is situated in elephant country, and breeding herds of 50 to 60 animals frequent the vicinity. The tusks of

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2176-502: The CITES ban has proved largely ineffectual against the trade in rhino horn. The second horn is sometimes also hacked from the skull to obtain about 100 ml of moisture that is sold locally as traditional medicine Muti . Poaching rhino horn escalated in the 21st century, with 949 rhinos killed in Kruger in the first 12 years, and more than 520 in 2013 alone. A memorandum of agreement is seen as

2244-522: The Limpopo. 219 species of butterfly and skipper are native to the park. The fastest and most robust of these belong to the genus Charaxes , of which 12 species have been recorded. Genera Papilio and Acraea are also well-represented, with about 10 and 15 species respectively. The total number of Lepidoptera species in the park is unknown but could be in the order of 7,000, many of which range widely in African savanna . The mopane moth in

2312-572: The Makuleke people, however, they chose not to resettle on the land but to engage with the private sector to invest in tourism. This resulted in the building of several game lodges from which they earn royalties. In the late 1990s, the fences between the Kruger Park and Klaserie Game Reserve , Olifants Game Reserve, and Balule Nature Reserve were dropped and incorporated into the Greater Kruger Park with 400,000 ha (4,000 km ) added to

2380-626: The Reserve. In 2002, Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe , and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique were incorporated into a peace park , the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park . The park lies in the northeast of South Africa, in the eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Phalaborwa , Limpopo is the only town in South Africa that borders the Kruger National Park. It

2448-424: The area, and causes sporadic outbreaks. It affects mainly ungulates , but also carnivores and humans. As anthrax inhibits blood clotting, the blood of deceased animals seep into the soil. The spores survive for decades in substrates with elevated calcium content or neutral-to-alkaline pH levels. In 1905 chief Sundhuza Mhinga and his Mhinga clan were dispossessed of their land in this area, and moved to land west of

2516-479: The area. The reserve was located in the southern one-third of the modern park. James Stevenson-Hamilton became the first warden of the reserve in 1902. Singwitsi Reserve , named after the Shingwedzi River and now in northern Kruger National Park, was proclaimed in 1903. During the following decades all the native tribes were removed from the reserve and during the 1960s the last were removed at Makuleke in

2584-554: The continent. Across the continent the African elephant population decreased 30% in the period between 2007 and 2014. It is foreseen that the placement of wire traps to procure meat would eventually become the most challenging form of poaching. A scheme has been proposed to reward adjacent communities with the proceeds of game sales in return for their cooperation in game preservation. The larger communities include Bosbokrand, Acornhoek, Hazyview, Hoedspruit, Komatipoort, Malelane, Marloth Park, Nelspruit and Phalaborwa. Communities along

2652-492: The driest periods, culminating at the beginning of the rainy season late in October. Because the park spans 360 kilometres or 220 miles from north to south, climate can vary throughout the park. Skukuza in the southern part of the park is about 2 to 3 °C (3.6 to 5.4 °F) cooler throughout the year than Pafuri in the north, with significantly more rainfall. Plant life consists of four main areas, which correspond roughly to

2720-485: The east, the Lebombo Mountains separate it from Mozambique. Its western boundary runs parallel with this range, roughly 65 km (40 mi) distant. The park varies in altitude between 200 m (660 ft) in the east and 840 m (2,760 ft) in the south-west near Berg-en-Dal. The highest point in the park is here, a hill called Khandzalive. Several rivers run through the park from west to east, including

2788-814: The far north and Shaws Gate in the south. The park's name comes from the Sabie River on its southern boundary and the Sand River flowing through it. The area of the reserve is 62,308 hectares (623.08 km) and it shares a non-fenced boundary of 50 km (31 miles) with the Kruger National Park to its east. Reserves in Sabi Sand include Buffelshoek , Djuma , Elephant Plains, Cheetah Plains, Mala Mala , Chitwa Chitwa, Nkorho, Simbambili, Arathusa, Londolozi , Umkumbe , Nottens, Sabi Sabi , Lion Sands , Kirkman's Kamp, Singita , Exeter Leadwood, Inyati Game Lodge, Idube, Dulini, Leopard Hills, Savanna and Ulusaba . Some of

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2856-412: The first time, but this road was only accessible to tourists during the winter months. Shingwedzi campsite was established late in 1933, when Bert Tomlinson was the local ranger. The first three of an eventual 31 tourist huts were completed in 1935, but these were only enclosed by a fence much later. Construction of Punda Maria's tourist huts was likewise undertaken during the same time. On 1 April 1977

2924-455: The four quadrants of the park. The main veld types are determined by the rainfall gradient (400 to 750 mm per annum) and geological substrates. Shrub mopane covers almost the entire northeastern part of the park. This area lies in the park's western half, north of the Olifants River. The two most prominent species here are the red bush-willow ( Combretum apiculatum ) and the mopane tree ( Colophospermum mopane ). This area lies between

2992-406: The fulfillment of ' Paul Kruger 's dream', and the Kruger National Park was established in 1926. The persons involved in the Kruger Park's creation, the extent of their contributions and their political motives are matters of debate, but may be seen as the culmination of various protectionist movements and many strands of thought. By 1932 a good dirt road linked Letaba, Shingwedzi and Punda Maria for

3060-482: The government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926. To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga , respectively. To the north is Zimbabwe and to the east is Mozambique . It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park , a peace park that links Kruger National Park with

3128-468: The land is dominated by mopane shrub, punctuated by apple-leaf trees. The leafy, large-canopied nyala tree occurs sparsely along the alluvial strips, but more commonly at Pafuri . A nyala tree beside the Mphongolo Loop (S56) road has been assigned champion tree status, in addition to a sycamore fig near Phalaborwa Gate. Anthrax , caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis , is endemic to

3196-731: The larger birds of prey conversely breed during the dry winter, when their prey is most exposed. Out of the 507 species of birds found at Kruger, 253 are residents, 117 non-breeding migrants, and 147 are nomads. Constituting the southern lowveld , the park's avifaunal affinities are mainly with the tropical north. Some representatives of this group are the African openbill , hooded vulture , Dickinson's kestrel , white-crowned lapwing , brown-necked parrot , Senegal coucal , broad-billed roller , trumpeter hornbill , Böhm's spinetail , tropical boubou , Meves's starling and scarlet-chested sunbird . Some 30 waterbird and wader species are dependent on

3264-426: The northern boundary have complained about a number of issues that affect them, including livestock killed by escaped predators. In 2021 and 2022 there were cases of poisoning of carcasses near Punda Maria, evidently to obtain the body parts of scavengers. The Kruger Park has the following gates: Download coordinates as: Shingwedzi During the 19th century the area had only a small native population, as

3332-514: The northern half of the park is one of the best known, and communities outside the park have at times been given permits to harvest their caterpillars. The park has a high diversity of termites and 22 genera are known to occur, including the mound-building genera Macrotermes , Cubitermes , Amitermes , Odontotermes and Trinervitermes . A new species of woodlouse , Ctenorillo meyeri , has been discovered inside termite nests , east of Phalaborwa and near Mopani Rest Camp . It

3400-404: The park and 78 nests were known, of which 50% were active. A 2013 study estimated that 904 pairs of white-backed vulture , 78 pairs of lappet-faced vulture and 60 pairs of white-headed vulture breed in the park. Kruger is inhabited by 114 species of reptile, including black mambas , African rock pythons , and 3,000 Nile crocodiles . As yet, knowledge of the densities and distributions of

3468-407: The park's boundaries. Work started on the southern boundary along the Crocodile River and in 1960 the western and northern boundaries were fenced, followed by the eastern boundary with Mozambique. The purpose of the fence was to curb the spread of diseases, facilitate border patrolling and inhibit the movement of poachers . The Makuleke area in the northern part of the park was forcibly taken from

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3536-464: The presence of predators and tsetse fly prevented cattle husbandry . To the immediate east Soshangane established himself as overlord of the lower Bileni/ Limpopo valley from 1827/28 to 1835, displacing resident Tsonga people in clashes like the Battle of Xihaheni, while moving northwards. The rinderpest epidemic of 1896 however ravaged the region's buffalo population, and with it the tsetse fly ,

3604-444: The reclusive Pel's fishing owl , which is localized and seldom seen. The 2011 aerial survey found 22 martial eagle nest sites, the 2015 survey an additional 17, while the 2020 survey found 70 nest locations in all, though the activity of these has yet to be determined. There are 25 to 30 breeding pairs of saddle-billed storks in the park, besides a handful of non-breeding individuals. In 2012 178 family groups of ground hornbills roamed

3672-415: The region by 1897, but made an unaided comeback since 1979 and are now well-established. The immediate vicinity of Shingwedzi camp contains some riparian vegetation with large trees, and narrow alluvial plains created by centuries of flooding, flank the river on each side. Here Transvaal mustard trees , weeping boer-bean , sausage tree , Natal mahogany and brack thorn may be found, but further afield

3740-550: The region's avifauna is mainly with the tropical north. Sight records for red-necked spurfowl have been claimed from along the Shingwedzi and Mphongolo rivers, suggesting an isolated population. Two bird species represent the southwesterly arid fauna however, namely the fawn-coloured lark and Kalahari scrub robin , which both occur in the elevated sandveld around Machai Pan. The shaft-tailed whydah likewise occurs there, but not exclusively. Yellow-billed oxpeckers were extinct in

3808-495: The reptiles, especially on smaller spatial scales, is limited by sampling bias and a strong dependence on the park's public infrastructure is evident. 34 species of amphibians are found in the park, as well as 49 fish species. A Zambezi shark, Carcharhinus leucas , also known as the bull shark , was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like

3876-438: The rivers or associated dams, including the African finfoot , white-backed night heron , white-crowned lapwing and water thick-knee . Other species are limited to riparian thicket or forest, including African goshawk , crested guineafowl , Natal spurfowl , Narina trogon , Pel's fishing owl , bearded scrub robin , terrestrial brownbul and black-throated wattle-eye . This habitat is often reduced by drought or floods or

3944-460: The small Pongola Reserve (dissolved in 1921), before he was transferred to Malunzane (also Malundzane) in Singwitsi. This deserted base of a former labour recruiter became Fraser's ranger post. It consisted of five rondavels on the bank of the Shongololo stream, not far from the present Mopani rest camp . Fraser was a poor administrator however, considering office work 'undignified', and was besides

4012-471: The smuggled horns by satellite. South Africa's 22,000 white and black rhinos represent some 93% of these species' world population, 12,000 of which are found in Kruger. In July 2022, Navara , an elephant poacher who frequented Kruger, was arrested in Maputo in a sting operation for possessing rhino horns. As of 2023, he is serving a 30-year prison sentence. Kruger experienced significant elephant poaching in

4080-554: The species roaming in this game reserve includes the Big five game . Other animals that roam this reserve are the cheetah , hippopotamus , wildebeest , zebra , giraffe , hyena , and Cape wild dog . The reserve shares thousands of different plant varieties and all animal species with the Kruger National Park. It is home to 45 fish species, 500 bird species, 145 animal species, and 110 reptile species. Kruger National Park Kruger National Park ( Afrikaans: [ˈkry.(j)ər] )

4148-576: The start of each year, which may affect tourist roads, bridges, picnic spots and bush camps. On 24 February 2000 the Shingwedzi River reached record levels when cyclone Leon–Eline struck the northern lowveld. These levels were surpassed on 20 January 2013 when Shingwedzi and Sirheni camps were completely submerged by flood water after 400 mm of rain in a week caused the Mphongolo and Shingwidzi Rivers to burst their banks. 262 people were evacuated on

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4216-542: The tar road from the south reached the camp, which subsequently remained open all year round. During a third development phase, a new administrative complex was added in 1982/3, then outside the camp. The A-circle huts were upgraded to bungalows with bathroom and kitchen facilities, and a guest house was established on the river front. Since 1993 the camp is connected to the main electricity grid, and current accommodation consists of 66 bungalows, 12 huts, 1 family cottage and 1 guest house, besides 50 camping sites. A landing strip

4284-539: The then northern Transvaal . Kruger National Park was proclaimed in 1918 and a commission established to pursue its planning and development. The first secretary of the commission was Johannes Andries (Dries) de Ridder , a civil servant. Warden James Stevenson-Hamilton retired on 30 April 1946, after 44 years as warden of the Kruger Park. He was replaced by Colonel J. A. B. Sandenbergh of the South African Air Force . In 1959, work commenced to completely fence

4352-426: The understorey is opened up by elephant. Some of the larger birds require large territories or are sensitive to habitat degradation. Six of these birds, which are by and large restricted to Kruger and other extensive conservation areas, have been assigned to a fanciful grouping called the "Big Six Birds". They are the lappet-faced vulture , martial eagle , saddle-billed stork , kori bustard , ground hornbill and

4420-402: The vector of nagana or sleeping sickness. Some now looked at the region for its economic prospects. By the end of the 19th century this remote northeastern part of South Africa was the abode of poachers, illegal loggers, illegal prospectors and illegal recruiters of black labour from across the border. In December 1902, Leonard Ledeboer, a Zoutpansberg resident who had switched sides during

4488-466: The western boundary and roughly the centre of the park south of the Olifants River. Combretums , such as the red bush-willow ( Combretum apiculatum ), and Acacia species predominate while there are a great number of marula trees ( Sclerocarya afra ). The Acacias are dominant along the rivers and streams, the very dense Nwatimhiri bush along the Sabie River between Skukuza and Lower Sabie being

4556-673: Was allocated to increased anti-poaching measures. The intention was to flood the market, crash prices and make poaching less profitable. But instead, the legal sale was followed by "an abrupt, significant, permanent, robust and geographically widespread increase" in elephant poaching, as subsequent research showed. The latest Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), summit voted down proposals for further one-off ivory sales from stockpiles for having led to increases in poaching across

4624-561: Was warden of the Sabi (since 1902) as well as Singwitsi Reserves. During his inspection tour of Singwitsi during September and October 1903, Stevenson-Hamilton found that game was scarce. He was nevertheless delighted with the region and found it 'well worth protecting'. Besides the relics of hunting camps there were numerous small African homesteads, the occupants of which subsisted on trapping and hunting by bow and arrow. The scarcity of game he however attributed to systematic hunting by Boer hunters, who were in his opinion doing more damage in

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