Marloth Park | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 25°20′36″S31°46′58″E / 25.34333°S 31.78278°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Mpumalanga |
District | Ehlanzeni |
Municipality | Nkomazi |
Established | 1977 |
Area | |
• Total | 17.50 km2 (6.76 sq mi) |
Population (2011) [1] | |
• Total | 1,000 |
• Density | 57/km2 (150/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 30.8% |
• Coloured | 0.5% |
• Indian/Asian | 0.8% |
• White | 67.4% |
• Other | 0.5% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Afrikaans | 48.1% |
• Swazi | 22.8% |
• English | 21.3% |
• Tsonga | 2.9% |
• Other | 4.9% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Marloth Park is a holiday town situated in northeastern South Africa in the Mpumalanga province (formerly Eastern Transvaal).
On the bank of the Crocodile River between Malelane and Komatipoort on the N4 national highway, Marloth Park is a wildlife sanctuary and holiday town. It boasts four of the “Big Five” with the exception of elephant. Buffalo, rhino and lion are confined to Marloth's game reserve "Lionspruit"; the rest of the game such as kudu, zebra, giraffe, blue wildebeest, nyala, impala, warthog, ostrich and others aren't restricted by fences and roam freely between the units that are built on 3000 ha. [2]
On the southern boundary of the Kruger National Park, Crocodile Bridge gate is 14 km and Malelane gate 35 km from Marloth Park.
Marloth Park was founded in 1977. It is named after German botanist, Rudolf Marloth, after whom the native Aloe marlothii is named. This plant is found abundantly in the middle and lowveld. [3]
Marloth Park is a stopover point for tourists travelling to the Kruger National Park, to Mozambique or to Eswatini. Many lodges and private houses are found inside the Park.
Marloth Park is a unique project. It opened in 1972 as a holiday township, though a large part of the park remained natural. There are no internal fences and the vegetation remains in its original state. Marloth Park is separated by a boundary fence and by the Crocodile River from Kruger Park. Within the park, there are giraffe, wildebeest, kudu, zebra, impala, bushbuck, warthog, baboon, vervet monkey and other small game and a rich bird life. Meanwhile, the infrastructure of the natural park is well developed.
Inside Marloth Park (3,000 hectares), the freedom of movement is remarkable. Tourists can ride a bicycle or go for a walk on their own through the African bush. Movement is not confined to the housing units. While walking along the Crocodile River, visitors can watch spectacular wildlife scenes in the adjacent Kruger National Park. Local restaurants, shops and a filling station are easily accessible.
Sometimes, lions from Kruger Park roam into Marloth Park. [4] [5]
Marloth Park features a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers.
Ithala Game Reserve is situated in 290 km2 of rugged, mountainous thornveld, about 400 km north of Durban, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is one of the youngest game parks in South Africa. The altitude varies from 400 m along the Phongolo River to 1,450 m along the Ngotshe Mountain escarpment. The reserve consequently encompasses a great variation of terrain, from densely vegetated river valleys and lowveld to sourveld, high-lying grassland plateaus, mountain ridges and cliff faces.
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A safari park, sometimes known as a wildlife park, is a zoo-like commercial drive-in tourist attraction where visitors can drive their own vehicles or ride in vehicles provided by the facility to observe freely roaming animals.
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Mala Mala is a game reserve located within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Mpumalanga province, South Africa. It is the largest and the oldest private big five game reserve in South Africa, It covers around 130 km2 or 15 000 hectares of land. In Xitsonga, the name Malamala means Kudu, it was named so because of the abundance of these animals within the game reserve. The Tsonga people, who occupied the land before the establishment of the game reserve, were forcibly removed from this land during the early 1900s and were dumped at Bushbuckridge. The Nwandlamhlarhi Community successfully claimed Malamala game reserve and the land was restored to them in 2015 when President Jacob Zuma handed them their land in a Government ceremony. The Tsonga people were also forcibly removed from neighbouring game reserves such as Skukuza, Satara, Ulusaba, Manyeleti, Protea Hotel Kruger Gate, Hoyo Hoyo Tsonga Lodge and may more in Southern Kruger. The Tsonga people are still waiting to be given back these lands by the Government after the finalization of their land claim.
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Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is a nature reserve on the western edge of Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. It was established in 1956 by like-minded game farmers with the creation of the Timbavati Association. The association has 50 members and covers 53,392 ha. Timbavati Private Nature Reserve harbours many animals among which the Big Five as well as many antelope species.
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The Borakalalo Game Reserve is a protected area in North West Province, South Africa. It is located about 80 kilometres NNW of Pretoria and 60 km north of Brits. This majestic Nature reserve has unfortunately been hampered by numerous safety problems, especially affecting overnight visitors to the reserve. Also known as a fantastic birding destination with specials including African Finfoot, Meyer's Parrot and Grey-Headed Kingfisher.
Mbuluzi Game Reserve is a privately owned reserve in Eswatini, within the Lubombo Conservancy. There are three lodges privately situated on the Mlawula River, and a campsite, situated above some rapids in the Mbuluzi River.
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Tshukudu Private Game Reserve, is situated next to the Kruger Park, near Hoedspruit, Limpopo province, South Africa. The name "Tshukudu" means "rhino" in Sotho. Tshukudu has been a family owned reserve since 1980.
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Moditlo Private Game Reserve forms an integral part of the 10 000 hectare Blue Canyon Private Game Reserve, located near Hoedspruit, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The reserve borders Kapama Game Reserve to the eastern side, the Drakensberg Mountains forms the backdrop to the west, and falls into the southern/central region of the Greater Kruger Park biosphere. The size of the Blue Canyon Conservancy has now reached 36,000 acres in total, and is home to typical African game such as lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs, hippos and several hundreds of bird species typical to the lowveld in South Africa. The reserve is also home to a pack of wild dogs, which is the second rarest carnivore species in Africa with only an estimated 2000 remaining specimen in existence.
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