Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park

This area is situated between the two Umfolozi Rivers where they divide into the Mfolozi emnyama ('Black Umfolozi') to the north and the Mfolozi emhlophe ('White Umfolozi') to the south.[10] This area is to the south of the park and is generally hot in summer, and mild to cool in winter, although cold spells do occur.[2] The topography in the Umfolozi section ranges from the lowlands of the Umfolozi River beds to steep hilly country, which includes some wide and deep valleys. Habitats in this area are primarily grasslands, which extend into acacia savannah and woodlands.

The Hluhluwe region has hilly topography where altitudes range from 80 to 540 metres (260 to 1,770 ft) above sea level. The high ridges support coastal scarp forests in a well-watered region with valley bushveld at lower levels.[11] The north of the park is more rugged and mountainous with forests and grasslands and is known as the Hluhluwe area,[3] while the Umfolozi area is found to the south near the Black and White Umfolozi rivers where there is open savannah.[3]

The park is home to Africa's big five game: elephant, rhinoceros (black and white), Cape buffalo, lion and leopard. It is home to 86 special species[12] including: Nile crocodile, hippo, cheetah, spotted hyena, blue wildebeest, jackal, giraffe, zebra, waterbuck, nyala, eland, kudu, impala, duiker, suni, reedbuck, common warthog, bushpig, mongoose, baboons, monkeys, a variety of tortoises, terrapins, snakes and lizards.[2] It is one of the world's top spots for viewing nyala. The park is a prime birding destination and is home to 340 bird species.[12] The Hluhluwe River Flood Plain is one of the only areas in the whole of South Africa where yellow-throated, pink-throated and orange-throated longclaw species can be seen together.[2] Bird life include night heron, Wahlberg's eagle, Shelley's francolin, black-bellied korhaan, Temminck's courser, Klaas's cuckoo, little bee-eater and crested barbet.[10]

The park has a diverse floral community.[12]

Rhinos grazing in the Park

The park is the birthplace of rhino preservation, having been responsible for breeding the southern white rhinoceros back from near extinction in the first half of the 20th century. There are reportedly 1,600 white rhino in the reserve.[3]

The rhino population remains severely threatened by poaching, with 222 rhinos poached in the province in 2017, most of them in the park.[4] Hluhluwe–Imfolozi has implemented Smart Park which facilitates the integration of systems, including drone technology, for early detection and rapid response of reaction units. On 6 March 2020 two of three suspected rhino poachers were killed in a shootout after they were detected by infrared cameras.[13] In 2022, 244 rhinos were poached in the province, 228 of them in the park.[5] In 2023, the reserve was the worst hit in South Africa; The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, said "We have to be concerned that almost every single day this year a rhino has been killed in Hluhluwe Imfolozi."[14]

In 1981, the Natal Parks board (now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife) attempted to reintroduce African wild dogs into the park. Twenty-three dogs were released in the reserve, most of which had been bred in zoos. However this met with limited success and by 2015, the population had fluctuated between 3 and 30 individuals.[15] Further dogs were released into the park in 2022.[16]