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| Home / Articles / Wildlife / Wildlife Safaris in South Africa :The Northern Cape |
| Wildlife Safaris in South Africa :The Northern Cape |
An area perhaps not frequented as much as more popular regions of South Africa, the Northern Cape still offers an authentic South African safari, but perhaps of a different kind. The arid land is home to more gentle wild animals like antelope and birds. It also boasts a World Heritage Site in the cultural landscape called the Richtersveldt.
So what makes the Northern Cape a special safari destination? This is the roots of ancient Africa, the land of the bushman, the original hunters and hunted.
POPULAR GAME RESERVES:
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Situated in the southern Kalahari desert. Transfrontier parks, areas are protected areas that cross international boundaries.
rare phenomenon: a large ecosystem relatively free of human disturbance.
This remarkable place with man-made barriers only visible to the west and south of the Park, has provided a conservation area large enough to maintain examples of two ecological processes that were once widespread in the savannahs and grasslands of Africa.
Richtersveldt National Park
The newest South African member to World Heritage Sites, this outstanding mountainous desert in the north-west is owned and managed by Khoi-Khoi descendants, the Nama community. Water is scarce in the arid, unforgiving land of extreme climate (over 50C in summer), and only obtainable via Gariep River. One could imagine being on the moon in this stark landscape with its blinding white quartz earth. The extraordinary aspect of the Richtersveldt is that the Nama have dedicated it primarly to conservation. After being pushed out of their land, the Richtersveld was placed under their ownership as part of the land restitution programme.
After initially two decades of negotiation, Richtersveld National Park (160 000ha) is managed jointly by the National Park Board and the Nama.
The seasonal migration of the Nama, practiced for two millennia, protects 650 mainly succulent plant species, which they use in daily living.
The Richtersveld is home to a variety of game and wildlife, including zebra, rhebok, steenbok, kudu, duiker, leopard and caracal. The Nama live and graze livestock in the area, a remarkable testimony of a working relationship between man and nature.
Accessible by means of a 4x4. Driving at night is not permitted.
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve
Surrounding the rugged Koranneberg Mountains, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, the most extensive private reserve in the land, lies on the edge of desert wilderness called the the Kalahari. Free from malaria, Tswalu boasts 70 species of mammal including lion, cheetah, desert black rhino, sable and roan antelope and over 200 bird species. The historical home of the San. Tswalu offers game drives in open-sided, canopied safari vehicles. All game drives are led by experienced rangers who provide a fascinating insight into indigenous wildlife of the region.
Augrabies Falls National Park
The Khoi people called it 'Aukoerebis', the place of the Great Noise, referring to spectacular waterfall stemming from the Orange River. The region has a host of imaginative names such as Moon Rock, Ararat and Echo Corner, some of the craggy outcrops dominating the landscape.
This reserve provides sanctuary to a diversity of species, from the very smallest succulents, birds and reptiles to springbok, gemsbok and the endangered black rhino. Excavations in the area date back 22 000 years, and is testament to how ancient this land is. Giraffe, klipspringers, (an antelope) steenbok, springbok, gemsbok, kudu and eland, leopard, black backed jackals, caracal, the bat-eared fox, and the African wild cat are all to be spotted.
Read more about Game lodges & safari accommodation in the Northern Cape
OTHER GAME RESERVES IN THE NORTHERN CAPE:
Akkerdam Nature Reserve
Doornkloof Nature Reserve
Goegap Nature Reserve
Karoo Gariep Conservancy
Mokala National Park
Namaqua National Park
Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve
Rolfontein Nature Reserve
Spitskop Nature Reserve
Tankwa Karoo National Park
Vaalbos National Park
Witsand Nature Reserve
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| Safari information that may interest you: |
Wildlife in South Africa
Top Ten Game Reserves in SA
Game Lodges and Safari Accommodation: Northern Cape |
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