Dispatch 24 - Kruger National, flagship of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park
The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park links the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, the Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe as well as Sengwe communal land in Zimbabwe and South Africa's Makuleke region into one large conservation area of 35 000 square km. The park comprises savannah plains, granite hills, the Lebombo Mountains that run along the South Africa / Mozambique border and the floodplains along the five major rivers that run through the park. The flagship of this Transfrontier area remains the Kruger National Park - it's an area with a rich natural and cultural history that can be traced back to early mankind. There is substantial evidence that prehistoric man roamed the region between 100 000 and 500 000 years ago. The settlement of Stone Age man between 30 000 and 100 000 years ago is supported by findings of cultural artifacts and archaelogical sites. More than 100 rock paintings and engravings are evidence of the San's (nomadic hunter gatherers) movements through the area. There is also evidence of the presence of Iron Age man from around 1500 years ago. Kruger is undoubtly one of the world's greatest game parks. It has been praised for its endeavours in nature conservation, professional management of wildlife and the safeguarding of African cultural heritage. Over the last few years, fences that separated the Kruger National Park from neigbouring reserves have been removed allowing the wildlife greater access to natural resources as well as increasing the game viewing opportunities for tourists. The park boasts approximately 147 mammal species, more than 507 bird species, 114 reptile species, over 49 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 227 butterfly species and 336 tree species.
Walking in the untamed wilderness is all about a feast of the senses, immersing oneself in the smaller things and becoming one with nature, this is exactly how the Boundless team now experience Kruger on foot, writes Dave Pusey, the expedition naturalist.
Kruger Park Head Guides, professional men in green uniforms with kudu-kop SanParks emblems, Ewout Verschoor and Irving Knight, one armed with a .458, the other with a 375, lead us through the bush. They point out depressions in the sand where white rhino had rested in the night, their tracks leading in the direction we are heading, maybe we would catch a glimpse of them later… We stop at a Magic Guarri bush or Toothbrush tree as it is also known and learn how to use the chewed end of twig to clean our teeth, quite useful after last night's feast. We follow the tracks of a massive male lion. "Possibly left in the early hours and he may still be in the area," explains Ewout the guide. Now a newfound alertness surrounds the group. A lone kudu male gives a distress call, we tramp on - good to move the joints again after all the days in a Land Rover. Oxpeckers fly past. "We'll follow them," says Irving, "they could lead us to game." We climb a ridge and gaze down below upon a bulky white rhino bull, how fitting to have tracked and viewed this magnificent animal in the species' greatest stronghold left on earth, estimated at over 3000 in the greater Kruger area.
