Mkhaya Game Reserve

Mkhaya Game Reserve
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)

Mkhaya Game Reserve
Map showing the location of Mkhaya Game Reserve

Location of the Mkhaya Game Reserve

Location Swaziland
Nearest city Siphofaneni
Coordinates 26°37′30″S 31°44′15″E / 26.62500°S 31.73750°E / -26.62500; 31.73750Coordinates: 26°37′30″S 31°44′15″E / 26.62500°S 31.73750°E / -26.62500; 31.73750
Established 1979

Mkhaya Game Reserve is a protected area in Swaziland. It is located along the MR8 road.

Characteristics

It is situated in lowveld wilderness in the southeast of Swaziland and is made up of acacia-dominated thornveld in the south and broadleaf sandveld in the north. The reserve has many dry riverbeds, is dotted with waterholes and has a network of game-viewing roads.[1]

Mkhaya Game Reserve is named after the knobthorn tree which is known as mkhaya in siSwati.[2]

Mkhaya is staffed and patrolled entirely by local Swazi people. All travel within the reserve is guided and requires pre-booking. The reserve is self-financed solely through visitor revenues.[1]

Fauna

It was established in 1979 to save Nguni cattle, which were close to extinction, and has gone on to include other endangered species such as the south-central black rhinoceros, southern white rhinoceros, hippopotamus pods, roan antelope, sable antelope, tsessebe, elephant and Cape buffalo herds.[1][3]

Birds of note include Narina trogon, purple-crested turaco, grey-headed bush-shrike, gorgeous bushshrike and pygmy kingfisher.[3]

Trials were started in 2009 to find a financially viable and humane method to control the elephant population by performing vasectomies on some bull elephants.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Mkhaya: Swaziland's Refuge for Endangered Species". Malkerns, Swaziland: Big Game Parks. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  2. ↑ "Swaziland's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses". Lobamba: Swaziland National Trust Commission. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  3. 1 2 "SWAZILAND - MKHAYA GAME RESERVE". Game-Reserve.com. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
  4. ↑ "Swazi elephants get vesectomies". www.iol.co.za. Independent Online. August 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-11.
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