Marloth Park

Last updated
Marloth Park
Marloth Park from the Kruger.JPG
Marloth Park seen from the Kruger Park
South Africa Mpumalanga location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marloth Park
South Africa adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marloth Park
Coordinates: 25°20′36″S31°46′58″E / 25.34333°S 31.78278°E / -25.34333; 31.78278
Country South Africa
Province Mpumalanga
District Ehlanzeni
Municipality Nkomazi
Established1977
Area
[1]
  Total
17.50 km2 (6.76 sq mi)
Population
 (2011) [1]
  Total
1,000
  Density57/km2 (150/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
[1]
   Black African 30.8%
   Coloured 0.5%
   Indian/Asian 0.8%
   White 67.4%
  Other0.5%
First languages (2011)
[1]
   Afrikaans 48.1%
   Swazi 22.8%
   English 21.3%
   Tsonga 2.9%
  Other4.9%
Time zone UTC+2 (SAST)

Marloth Park is a holiday town situated in northeastern South Africa in the Mpumalanga province (formerly Eastern Transvaal).

Contents

Kudu in Marloth Park Marloth park kudu.JPG
Kudu in Marloth Park
Inflorescence of Aloe marlothii, from which the park's name is taken Aloe Marlothii.jpg
Inflorescence of Aloe marlothii , from which the park's name is taken

Geography

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.

History

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]

Tourism

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]

Climate

Marloth Park features a humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers.

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ithala Game Reserve</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chobe National Park</span> National park in Botswana

Chobe National Park is Botswana's first national park, and also the most biologically diverse. Located in the north of the country, it is Botswana's third largest park, after Central Kalahari Game Reserve and Gemsbok National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari park</span> Zoo-like tourist attraction

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Kalahari Game Reserve</span> National park in Botswana

Central Kalahari Game Reserve is an extensive national park in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana. Established in 1961 it covers an area of 52,800 square kilometres (20,400 sq mi), making it the second largest game reserve in the world. The reserve is located entirely within Botswana's Ghanzi District, making up over 40% of the district's territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mala Mala Game Reserve</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabi Sabi</span> Private game reserve in South Africa

Sabi Sabi is a private game reserve in South Africa, situated in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve which flanks the south western section of the Kruger National Park. The Sabi Sand Reserve is one of the parks that make up the Greater Kruger National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Zimbabwe</span>

The wildlife of Zimbabwe occurs foremost in remote or rugged terrain, in national parks and private wildlife ranches, in miombo woodlands and thorny acacia or kopje. The prominent wild fauna includes African buffalo, African bush elephant, black rhinoceros, southern giraffe, African leopard, lion, plains zebra, and several antelope species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timbavati Private Nature Reserve</span> Nature reserve in South Africa

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Kenya</span>

The wildlife of Kenya refers to its fauna. The diversity of Kenya's wildlife has garnered international fame, especially for its populations of large mammals. Mammal species include lion, cheetah hippopotamus, African buffalo, wildebeest (Connochaetes), African bush elephant, zebra (Equus), giraffe (Giraffa), and rhinoceros. Kenya has a very diverse population of birds, including flamingo and common ostrich.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balule Nature Reserve</span> Protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Balule Nature Reserve is a protected area in Limpopo Province, South Africa which forms part of the Greater Kruger National Park as a member of the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR). As part of a wildlife conservation initiative, all fences separating APNR reserves – Balule, Timbavati, Klaserie, Umbabat, – and the Kruger National Park have been removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tshukudu Private Game Reserve</span> Family-owned game reserve in South Africa

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulusaba Private Game Reserve</span>

Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, owned by Sir Richard Branson as part of the Virgin Limited Edition luxury property portfolio, consists of about 13,500 ha of land set in the heart of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve. This private game reserve borders on the sprawling Kruger National Park in South Africa's Mpumalanga province and is home to an abundance of wildlife. Ulusaba means fearful in the local Tsonga (Shangaan) language and it was a name given to the Sabie River by the Shangaan people. The Sabie River was originally called Ulusaba by the Shangaan simply because there was once a large concentration of dangerous Nile crocodile in the river. Before the establishment of the Kruger National Park, Ulusaba was once a home of Tsonga-Shangaan people, the Shangaan were evicted from this land when the Kruger National Park was established and were relocated in nearby villages adjacent Ulusaba Private Game Reserve.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Tanzania</span>

Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary</span>

The SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary is a 5,000 ha (50 km2) wildlife rehabilitation center and reserve in South Africa's Limpopo Province, located a few kilometers south of Leydsdorp, and near the western boundary of the Kruger National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabi Sand Game Reserve</span> Reserve in South Africa

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″S31°24′16″E and west of the Kruger Gate and Skukuza camp of Kruger Park. Other entrances are Gowrie Gate in the far north and Shaws Gate in the south.

This 5,000-ha protected area is administered by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and covers an area of typical inland KwaZulu-Natal acacia savanna with occasional thickets. The reserve offers extensive game-viewing facilities, guided walks, environmental education, and three picnic sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feeding behavior of spotted hyenas</span>

The spotted hyena is the most carnivorous member of the Hyaenidae. Unlike its brown and striped cousins, the spotted hyena is primarily a predator rather than a scavenger. One of the earliest studies to demonstrate its hunting abilities was done by Hans Kruuk, a Dutch wildlife ecologist who showed through a 7-year study of hyena populations in Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park during the 1960s that spotted hyenas hunt as much as lions, and with later studies this has been shown to be the average in all areas of Africa. However spotted hyenas remain mislabeled as scavengers, often even by ecologists and wildlife documentary channels.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Main Place Marloth Park". Census 2011.
  2. umjindi.org- "Wild Frontier". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-08-24. wild frontier
  3. Bredenkamp, G.J. & Van Vuuren, D.R.J. 1987. Note on the occurrence and distribution of Aloe marlothii Berger on the Pietersberg Plateau. South African Journal of Science 83: 498- 550
  4. Lowvelder, Lions roam the streets of Marloth Park
  5. Lowvelder, Two lions caught in Marloth Park
  6. Le Quotidien de la Réunion,La terre promise n’existe pas, Stéphanie Buttard, 29 mars 2021

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Marloth Park at Wikimedia Commons