Malolotja Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Malolotja Nature Reserve covers 4,447 acres (1,800 ha) of mountain wilderness on Swaziland's north western border with South Africa. The park includes Ngwenya Mountain, Swaziland's second highest mountain (1829 m), and Malolotja Falls which drop 292 feet (90metres), the highest in Swaziland. Habitats include short grassland to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and Afromontane
forest.
Malolotja Nature Reserve adjoins the Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa, and together they form the Songimvelo-Malolotja Transboundary Protected Area
or Peace Park, which in turn is part of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area
.
in the early 1970s. At that time most of the area was sheep grazing land and much was privately owned. However, the area had little agricultural potential and residents were resettled on good agricultural land adjacent to Malolotja.
, wildebeest
, reedbuck
, blesbok
, red hartebeest
, oribi
, leopard
, serval
, aardwolf
, jackal
and bushpig
. The Natal Ghost Frog
, Plaintive Rain Frog
and the Gray's Stream Frog
are endemic to Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho. In Swaziland they have only been found in Afromontane mist belt forest.
s and swallow
s. Bald ibis nest in colony on cliffs near Malolotja Falls. A number of bird species are of conservation importance, because their habitat is limited and threatened outside the reserve. They are the Orange Ground-thrush
, Brown Robin
, Bush Blackcap
, Chorister Robin-chat
, White-starred Robin
, Grey Cuckoo-shrike
, Olive Bush Shrike, Southern Boubou
, Narina Trogon
and Knysna Lourie.
Afromontane
Afromontane is a term used to describe the Afrotropic subregion and its plant and animal species common to the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula...
forest.
Malolotja Nature Reserve adjoins the Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa, and together they form the Songimvelo-Malolotja Transboundary Protected Area
Transboundary Protected Area
A Transboundary Protected Area is a protected area that spans boundaries of more than one country or sub-national entity, where the political border sections that are enclosed within its area are abolished. This includes removal of all human-made physical boundaries, such as fences, allowing free...
or Peace Park, which in turn is part of the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area
Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area
The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area was born out of the Peace Park Foundation’s vision to establish a network of transfrontier conservation areas in southern Africa...
.
History
The region was identified as important by the Swaziland National Trust CommissionSwaziland National Trust Commission
The Swaziland National Trust Commission is the custodian of Swaziland's cultural and natural heritage. It is governed by The National Trust Commission Act of 1972...
in the early 1970s. At that time most of the area was sheep grazing land and much was privately owned. However, the area had little agricultural potential and residents were resettled on good agricultural land adjacent to Malolotja.
Animals
Animals in the reserve include zebraZebra
Zebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
, wildebeest
Wildebeest
The wildebeest , also called the gnu is an antelope of the genus Connochaetes. It is a hooved mammal...
, reedbuck
Reedbuck
Reedbuck is a common name for African antelopes from the genus Redunca. These species are:* Southern Reedbuck, Redunca arundinum* Mountain Reedbuck, Redunca fulvorufula* Bohor Reedbuck, Redunca redunca...
, blesbok
Blesbok
The Blesbok or Blesbuck is an antelope with a distinctive white face and forehead. Its white face is the origin of its name, because bles is the Afrikaans word for bald...
, red hartebeest
Red Hartebeest
The Red Hartebeest is a species of even-toed ungulate in the Bovidae family. It is found in Southern Africa. There are more than 130,000 individuals left. The Red Hartebeest is closely related to the Tsessebe and the Topi....
, oribi
Oribi
Oribi are graceful slender-legged, long-necked small antelope found in grassland almost throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:...
, leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...
, aardwolf
Aardwolf
The aardwolf is a small, insectivorous mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa. The name means "earth wolf" in Afrikaans/Dutch. It is also called "maanhaar jackal". It is related to hyenas, but unlike its relatives, it does not hunt large prey. This unusual animal preys on insects...
, jackal
Jackal
Although the word jackal has been historically used to refer to many small- to medium-sized species of the wolf genus of mammals, Canis, today it most properly and commonly refers to three species: the black-backed jackal and the side-striped jackal of sub-Saharan Africa, and the golden jackal of...
and bushpig
Bushpig
The bushpig, Potamochoerus larvatus, is a member of the pig family and lives in forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and reedbeds in East and Southern Africa. Probably introduced populations are also present in Madagascar and the Comoros archipelago. Bushpigs are mainly nocturnal. There are...
. The Natal Ghost Frog
Natal Ghost Frog
The Natal Ghost Frog is a species of frog in the Heleophrynidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland....
, Plaintive Rain Frog
Plaintive Rain Frog
The Plaintive Rain Frog or Rough Rain Frog is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is found in Lesotho, South Africa, and Swaziland....
and the Gray's Stream Frog
Gray's Stream Frog
The Gray's Stream Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family.It is found in Lesotho, Saint Helena, South Africa, Swaziland, possibly Botswana, and possibly Namibia....
are endemic to Swaziland, South Africa and Lesotho. In Swaziland they have only been found in Afromontane mist belt forest.
Birds
Birdlife includes louries, sunbirds, sugarbirds, blue craneBlue Crane
The Blue Crane , also known as the Stanley Crane and the Paradise Crane, is the national bird of South Africa. It is a tall, ground-dwelling bird, but is fairly small by the standards of the crane family. It is 100–120 cm tall and weighs 4.0–6.2 kg...
s and swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
s. Bald ibis nest in colony on cliffs near Malolotja Falls. A number of bird species are of conservation importance, because their habitat is limited and threatened outside the reserve. They are the Orange Ground-thrush
Orange Ground-thrush
The Orange Ground-thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Brown Robin
Brown Robin
Brown Robin is the 97th Child ballad from the collection of 305 ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, collected by Francis James Child in the late nineteenth century.-Synopsis:...
, Bush Blackcap
Bush Blackcap
The Bush Blackcap is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Lioptilus.It is found in South Africa and Swaziland....
, Chorister Robin-chat
Chorister Robin-chat
The Chorister Robin-chat is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is found in South Africa and Swaziland...
, White-starred Robin
White-starred Robin
The White-starred Robin is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. It is also sometimes more simply called the Starred Robin. It is monotypic within the genus Pogonocichla. There are around twelve subspecies. The species is found in East and Southern Africa...
, Grey Cuckoo-shrike
Grey Cuckoo-shrike
The Grey Cuckooshrike is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family. It is found in Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.Its natural habitats...
, Olive Bush Shrike, Southern Boubou
Southern Boubou
The Southern Boubou is a bushshrike. This family of passerine birds is closely related to the true shrikes in the family Laniidae, and were once included in that group....
, Narina Trogon
Narina Trogon
The Narina Trogon, Apaloderma narina, is a medium-sized , largely green forest bird in the Trogonidae family, the most widespread and catholic in habitat choice of three Apaloderma trogons...
and Knysna Lourie.
Climate
Most rain falls in summer thunderstorms from December to April. Frost is common in June and July.Tourism
There are only 15 miles (25km) of road in the reserve, but much more can be explored on 4x4's, mountain bike or by hiking. There are a number of designated camping sites.See also
- List of birds of Swaziland
- List of mammals of Swaziland