Ithala Game Reserve
For other uses, see Itala (disambiguation).
| Ithala Game Reserve | |
|---|---|
|
Giraffe amid mountainous terrain in Ithala Game Reserve. | |
  Location of the reserve in KwaZulu-Natal | |
| Location | KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| Nearest city | Durban, South Africa |
| Coordinates | 27°30′57″S 31°19′53″E / 27.51594°S 31.33129°ECoordinates: 27°30′57″S 31°19′53″E / 27.51594°S 31.33129°E |
| Area | 290 km2 (110 sq mi) |
| Established | 1973 |
| Governing body | Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife |
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
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