14 Sep Kruger National Park – Flora and Fauna
Kruger National Park, proclaimed in 1898 by Paul Kruger (Sabie Game Reserve from 1898 to 1926), is globally reknowned for its wild life, but there is also a wide diversity of flora, from the Crocodile River in the south to the Limpopo River in the north, a distance of 360 kilometers, and encompasing an area of 19485 square kilometers.
There are about 380 species of trees in the Park, varying from scrub to massive riverine trees, and of course the Baobab, and over 2000 plant species.
The park has about 150 mammal species, which includes about 14000 elephant, 1000 Leopard, 1600 Lion, 240 Wild Dog, and 140000 Impala.
The original park proclaimed was between the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers, but this was extended by aquisition and donations, for example many farms were donated by Eileen Orpen. Part of the park in the north was expropriated from the Makuleke Tribe in the north (198.4km2) in the 1960’s, but this has been returned to the tribe, who have chosen to continue to utilize this area as a private game area.
In the 1990’s fences were dropped between the Park and the private game reserves in the Klaserie region, adding over 400000 hectares, and more recently, Gonarezhou in Zimbabawe, and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique, incorporated to form the Greater Limpopo Tansfrontier Park.
Another Gallery will cover some of the camps and Monuments that can be discovered in the park.