Ithala Game Reserve

Ithala Game Reserve, 290 km² of rugged, mountainous thornveld in northern KwaZulu-Natal, about 400 km north of Durban. It is one of the youngest game parks in South Africa. The altitude varies from 400 m (Phongolo River) to 1450 m (Ngotshe Mountains), so there is a great variation of terrain which extends over lowveld and densely vegetated river valleys to high-lying grassland plateaus, ridges and cliff faces.

All the big game species have been re-established with the exception of lion.

History

• In the late 1800s land was given by King Dinizulu to white farmers.
• In 1973 the then Natal Parks Board started buying up farms in this area to make up this Reserve.

Trivia

• There are two abandoned gold mines found at Ithala.

See also

• List of conservation areas of South Africa

References

External links

• KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government homepage
• Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (previous known as Natal Parks Board)
• South African National Parks Official Site