uMkhuze Reborn
Text and pictures: Anita de Villiers. Article from the August 2014 issue of Country Life Magazine.
In northern Zululand, uMkhuze Game Reserve’s ongoing war against poaching has been long and hard, but against all odds it has found new life
“This is the language of trees,” said our game ranger, pointing to a giant sycamore fig that had grown branches and roots to support its vertically challenged Natal mahogany neighbour. “They talk to each other, they help each other.” Poetic words at the start of an early morning walk in uMkhuze Game Reserve’s Fig Forest.
uMkhuze Game Reserve is part of KwaZulu-Natal’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park), which was listed in 1999 as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site. This came after President Mandela and his Cabinet’s visionary decision in 1996 to ban mining in the area in favour of conservation and eco-tourism. In the ensuing years, iSimangaliso joined Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in managing the uMkhuze and ten other destinations that welcome visitors to this magnificent region.
Proclaimed a game reserve in 1912, uMkhuze (also spelled Mkhuze or Mkuze) was named after the river that runs along its northern border. It’s the Zulu name for the lavender tree (Heteropyxis natalensis), which is one of the many tree species in this arresting landscape, and releases a lavender aroma when the leaves are crushed.
It was with some trepidation that we turned onto the gravel road, heading eastwards from the N2 through the foothills of the Lebombo Mountains. In the past, uMkhuze had been labelled the embattled game reserve in Zululand, with a history of poaching and other problems. Reports from friends and colleagues who had visited the park in recent years also painted a picture of neglect and poor service.
At eMshopi Gate, a dapper young uniformed man welcomed us with a broad smile, patiently explaining that, yes, we had to pay the entrance fee although we intended to renew our expired Golden Rhino Card at Mantuma Rest Camp’s office. The same friendly, professional service from all the staff would mark our three-day stay.
The short drive to Malibali Hide took us through green acacia savannah dotted with wildlife. Extreme weather patterns are typical of this part of Zululand, but the waving grass signalled abundance for the coming winter. A kudu bull, its massive horns making three full turns, crossed the road, and a dominant impala ram ushered his harem of ewes away from the advances of an opportunistic rival male. At the hide, with vistas across the savannah towards the hazy mountains, two white rhino joined the slate-coated wildebeest and a nyala bull to drink from the waterhole.
Malibali Hide and the walkway’s state of disrepair did not bode well for our eagerly anticipated visit to Masinga Hide the following day. For many years, Masinga had been considered one of the most productive hides for wildlife photographers, a status it had lost in recent years. But, lo and behold, at the hide’s entry was a sign asking visitors to be patient as park improvements were underway.
In place of the old, dark hide stood a huge state-of-the art one overhanging the waterhole, bringing us really close to the game – and at almost eye-level. Wildlife photographers note – Masinga is back on the map.
“Did you know a group of rhinos is called a crash?” the baby rhino’s speech bubble read on one of the posters inside the hide. Information about the threatened white and endangered black rhinos – both of which occur in uMkhuze – makes for fascinating reading while waiting for game to appear. But it is the explicit information and visuals about the threat of poaching from the adjacent communities that wrenches the heartstrings, the emotion heightened by being in these animals’ natural habitat.
uMkhuze’s war against poaching is long-lived and continuing, despite the efforts of a dedicated field ranger force and a concerted community conservation outreach programme. Returning from our late-afternoon drive, dusk falling rapidly, we came across a pack of 17 African wild dogs being observed by Cole du Plessis. Cole is an endangered wildlife monitor for Wildlife ACT, a volunteer organisation that initiates and manages monitoring projects in KwaZulu-Natal game parks, to assist Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in their research and conservation operations.
Cole pointed out two young dogs that had lost legs due to poaching. But the mettle of this young man and his love and enthusiasm for his task in monitoring the reserve’s predators was reminiscent of another conservation battle fought successfully by a young Ian Player and other conservationists, some 40 years ago. Hope springs eternal…
On our last day in uMkhuze, we decided to focus on the swamp and riverine forest areas around Ensumo Pan, also hoping to encounter lions that had recently been introduced. Patrick Mathe drove us to the Fig Forest, as the sun rose in tints of ochre and crimson from behind the silhouetted umbrella thorn trees. Savannah gave way to clumps of fever trees, signalling the change in ecosystems.
The Fig Forest is a pocket of nature where time stands still, and where sycamore fig trees hundreds of years old canopy a forest fed by the green uMkhuze River
The Fig Forest is a pocket of nature where time stands still, and where sycamore fig trees hundreds of years old canopy a forest fed by the green uMkhuze River. The footpath takes you across two suspension bridges, crazily swinging to the rhythm of whoever sets the pace, before leading you into a world of green giants and butterflies fluttering in the dappled shade. Near the end of the circular walk, a newly built aerial boardwalk leads to the sub-canopy level, a big bonus for birding enthusiasts. Special sightings for us included the Cardinal Woodpecker, Neergaard’s Sunbird and a Brown-headed Parrot.
As we made our way back to the vehicle, there came a faint, low rumbling and suddenly the penny dropped, just as the breeding elephant herd ghosted through the acacias. Our up-wind position necessitated a very speedy and long detour. But white women of an age can run – and so can a certain poetic game ranger.
That afternoon at Ensumo Pan, another surprise awaited us. The picnic spot had been substantially upgraded and one of the observation platforms was brand new. As we watched the flaming sun set over the pan, a pod of hippos occasionally breaking the serenity with their comic sounds, it was clear that the chrysalis that is uMkhuze showed a number of signs that a special butterfly was emerging from its cocoon.
And that the architects of this transformation were creative, forward thinking and had their priorities right.
uMkhuze Game Reserve
■ uMkhuze is situated in northern Zululand, about 340km from Durban and 530km from Johannesburg. The last 18km is dirt road.
■ Atthe unfenced Mantuma Camp there is an office and shop where visitors can obtain basic food supplies, refreshments, charcoal and curios. Accommodation ranges from rest huts with communal facilities to a tented camp and chalets.
■ All accommodation is serviced and self-catering. Visitors should bring along their own food, beverages and wood. The kitchens are well equipped.
■ 220v electricity is available 24 hours a day. There is cellphone reception as well as 3G connectivity, but not in all areas of the park.
■ Bookings can be made through Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife 033 845 1002, email, website
More info on the town of Mkuze | More info on the Elephant Coast area |
|
Subscribe to Country LifeIf you enjoy serenity and beauty, and getting away from it all, subscribe to Country Life to be transported every month to a different back road journey. Subscribe to our NewsletterSign up to receive our digital newsletter and get the heart of the countryside – features, events and competitions – delivered to your inbox weekly. Latest issue of Country LifeSee what’s in the latest exciting issue of Country Life. |