Mpumalanga is perhaps best known as the home of the Kruger National Park, but here is the Sunrise Province’s list of its top ten unexpected discoveries.
Image: Teagan Cunniffe
1. Jane Goodall Chimp Eden Sanctuary
Visit this famous and encouragingly-responsible sanctuary to watch the healthy, happy rescue chimps roam, swing, scavenge, squabble and scrap in their spacious, forested enclosures.
2. Wakkerstroom
Wakkerstroom and nearby Chrissiesmeer offer the largest populations of endangered bird species in the country. In addition to many water birds – yes, including startlingly pink flamingos – the keen twitcher might be able to tick some tricky boxes, such as Rudd’s Lark, Botha’s Lark and the Blue Korhaan.
3. Secunda
More than 100 servals roam free in the vicinity of the vast Sasol fuel plant, making this the highest-density serval population in the world. These glorious creatures feed on the prolific local rodent population and are surprisingly habituated, although far from tame.
4. Blyde River Canyon
Cruise the Blyderivierspoort dam from Swadini and check out the tufa (calcium carbonate) falls. You might even get to see rare samango monkeys, but hippos and crocs abound. Birdlife includes the African Crowned and African Fish Eagle, African Finfoot and White-backed Night Heron.
5. White River Nature Reserve
Aloe simii is endemic to this 21-hectare haven, where marsh mongoose, porcupine and spotted genet also live in peaceful coexistence, right next to this attractive little country town.
6. Manyeleti Game Reserve
Affordable, unexpected exclusivity! Over 23,000 hectares unfenced from the Greater Kruger area with all the same Big Five wildlife, but the freedom to do your own thing, or join a guide and camp, caravan or even self-cater. Manyeleti means ‘place of stars’.
7. Peddlars Bush and Saddleback Pass
Again, for the birders, Peddlars Bush offers uncommon species such as Knysna Turaco, Narina Trogon and Bush Blackcap. En route lies Saddleback Pass, a tiny patch of indigenous forest wedged between vast timber plantations, where amongst the rock-strewn, protea-rich hillsides, specials such as Cape Rock Thrush and Jackal Buzzard may be seen.
8. Loskop Dam
The extensive Loskop Dam is a massive 30 km long and boasts a wide range of fish species including carp, bream, yellowfish and catfish, as well as some rare mammals for the province including eland, blesbok and white rhino as well as wildebeest, zebra and giraffe.
9. Kaapschehoop
Wild horses should drag you here, and so should the lovely nature walks, wild mushrooms in the pine forests. In winter, the rocky escarpment brightens up with thousands of flowering aloes attracting the endemic Gurney’s Sugarbird and Malachite Sunbird. Sadly, the Blue Swallow, for which the area was renowned, no longer nests there, but birdwatchers will find numerous other unusual species.
10. Kruger National Park
To leave this one out would be quite unusual. The expansive and dynamic Kruger habitat is home, among other thrills, to over 1,000 leopards, 1,500 lions, 17,000 elephants and 170,000 impala among the 148 mammal species to be seen in the park’s two million hectares. Not to mention 505 bird species, 25 amphibians and 118 different types of reptile… It is, of course, one of the world’s finest and best-managed conservation areas.
Featured image: Teagan Cunniffe
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