During our visit to Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in December we found that at least two warthog sows decided that Mpila Camp would make an excellent nursery for their tiny piglets.
Aren’t they adorable!?
When you’re surrounded by a landscape filled with big and dangerous animals it is easy to forget that there’s a wholly different but equally fascinating world of smaller creatures to enjoy down on ground level! While out exploring Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in December we used the time we spent in camp and at the numerous picnic spots, hides and viewsites throughout the Park to appreciate the smaller fry as well.
It appeared our accommodation unit (#21) at Mpila (Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park) in December was some kind of magnet to some very large and very hairy caterpillars intent on spinning their cocoons in any available nook or cranny. We didn’t mind, of course, as the whole process is just so darn interesting!
Mpila, set high on a hill with sweeping views over both the Black and White Umfolozi Rivers, is the main accommodation base in the Imfolozi section of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park. Apart from a single strand of electric wire strung high above the ground, designed to keep the elephants from coming into camp and digging up the water pipes, animals – including predators – have free access to the grounds. This of course make the place just all the more alluring to the de Wets!
This image of a spotted hyena licking our braai (barbeque) grid was taken on a previous visit to Mpila
Looking back on another year of enjoying South Africa’s beautiful wild places!
Looking back at the marvelous places we stayed at while exploring South Africa’s wild places in 2015 😀
> Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, January 2015
> Forever Resorts Loskop Dam, Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, April 2015
> Glen Reenen, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, April 2015
> Kamberg Nature Reserve, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, May 2015
> Kgaswane Mountain Reserve, May 2015
> Cape Vidal, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, June 2015
> Mpila, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, July 2015
> Lower Sabie, Kruger National Park, July 2015
> Sweni Wilderness Trail, Kruger National Park, July 2015
> Thendele, Royal Natal National Park, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, August 2015
> Ntshondwe, Ithala Game Reserve, September 2015
> Mopani Rest Camp, Kruger National Park, October 2015
> Pafuri Border Camp, Kruger National Park, October 2015
> Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park, December 2015 (trip reports to follow soon!)
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In the 20 years that I’ve been visiting the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, I’ve never seen the Black Umfolozi River bone-dry at the bridge on the way to Mpila Camp. That changed when we visited in July 2015. A drought has the north of Kwazulu-Natal Province in its firm grasp and it is evident that the Park is unfortunately not escaping its ravages.
Travelling south-west after entering at Memorial Gate, through the Hluhluwe-section of the Park, we couldn’t help noticing how parched even this normally lush area has become, a marked contrast from when we visited in December 2014. Game-viewing was easy going, as animals were congregating in their numbers around the remaining water sources and the denuded vegetation provided little cover. After checking in at Mpila, we headed for Sontuli Loop, our favourite drive in the reserve.
The next morning saw us out exploring Imfolozi at the break of dawn. The animal population seems to be coping well with the harsh conditions and we had good sightings of several species of birds, mammals and reptiles. Unseasonably hot weather, in the low 30’s Celsius, saw us return to Mpila for a siesta during the midday heat before taking our afternoon drive to Ubhejane Hide .
Overnight a cold front accompanied by strong gusts of wind passed over the Park, seeing temperatures drop to less than half of what they were the previous day and overcast conditions prevailing throughout. This allowed us to stay out exploring for most of the day, visiting the Centenary Centre for lunch (we can highly recommend the ostrich burgers sold at the take-away kiosk!). A drive out to the extreme south-west corner of the reserve that afternoon put our minds at ease with the knowledge that the White Umfolozi River, that runs through the Park’s wilderness area, is still flowing, albeit only a trickle compared to the normal situation.
More of the same wintery weather greeted us as we woke on our last full day in the Park, and the hot cup of coffee and rusks we enjoyed that morning at Ubhejane Hide was indeed very welcome. By now we knew the few remaining pools at the viewpoint over the Black Umfolozi (near point 17 on the Park map) was like a magnet to wildlife, and finding three big male lions there guarding one of them was no surprise. The band of brothers remained in the same spot all day, doing what lions do best – sleeping! As for the de Wets, we headed for Sontuli Picnic Site for a lovely braai (South African barbeque) and then enjoyed our traditional last slow drive along Sontuli Loop at dusk before heading back to camp.
It’s unbelievable how quickly time passes when enjoying South Africa’s wild places. Leaving the Park on the morning of the 15th of July, we were concerned about the effects a prolonged drought would have on the Park’s vegetation and wildlife. Recent news about good rains falling in the area therefore was extremely welcome. It might not break the drought, but it will replenish the waterholes and hopefully carry the wildlife through to summer when (hopefully) more rain should come.
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For our July 2015 visit, we opted to enter and exit the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park at Memorial Gate, in the north of the reserve (a 7-hour, with stops, 570km drive from our home in Pretoria), and spent four nights at wonderfully wild Mpila Camp in the Imfolozi-section of the reserve.
The route from Pretoria to Memorial Gate
(drawn with Google Maps)
Sadly the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park is under threat; if a proposed coal mine on the southern border of the reserve gets given the go-ahead it will mean the end of the reserve’s renowned wilderness area and much of its, and the Isimangaliso Wetland Park’s, ecological integrity. Visit “Save our Imfolozi Wilderness” if you’d like to add your voice in opposition to this unnecessary and unwelcome development.
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve shared with you several exciting sightings we enjoyed at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, during our December holidays in the bush. Time to wrap up that part of our trip now.
We left the cheese farm near Mtubatuba very early in the morning of the 24th of December, and made it to the Memorial Gate just in time for it opening at 05:00AM (it’s a drive of about 75km only). We used Memorial Gate so that we could explore the Hluhluwe-section of the reserve on our way south to Mpila Camp, where we could check in 14:00 in the afternoon.
Mpila is a favourite camp of ours. It is unfenced, except for a single strand of electric wire strung high enough to only keep out elephants and giraffes. Other wildlife, including large predators, regularly roam among the accommodation units. Visitors should keep a special eye open for raids by vervet monkeys during the day, and for hyenas at night while preparing their evening meals on the barbeque fires.
That afternoon, we went for a quick drive and had some fun with a cute white rhino calf. Hluhluwe-Imfolozi is renowned as a rhinoceros haven, and we pray that the hard work and dedication of the rangers protecting them against a terrible onslaught from armed poachers will not be in vain.
When we made our December 2014 plans a year before, we specifically wanted to spend Christmas at Mpila. A special day at a special place. We set out for a quick drive on a glorious morning, then went back to camp to prepare and enjoy Christmas lunch. In the afternoon the Park was inundated by a quick cloud burst, luckily the gravel roads are in good condition and we could continue to explore the Park soon after.
Boxing Day brought us our memorable encounter with lions in trees, but Hluhluwe-Imfolozi has much more to offer and our sightings this day was particularly varied. Our day ended with our best ever sighting of a wild African Rock Python, almost as long as the road was wide!
Every day at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi brings something special and exciting, and the 27th of December was no different. Our day started with a thrilling wild dog pack on the hunt, but that wasn’t where it ended!
Our last full day at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park seemed to belong to the elephants, with a number of really close-up encounters, but we also had a good laugh at a hyena that bit off more than she could chew.
All too soon our five night stay at Mpila came to an end. We had collected so many memories, and can’t wait to return. Driving to Nyalazi Gate we tried to postpone our departure as long as we could, even spending half-an-hour looking for a distant pride of lions reported by fellow spotters in the kznsightings group (a group set up so that visitors to the game reserves in Kwazulu-Natal can share what they find while exploring with other visitors).
We found the lions and then departed for Midmar in the KZN Midlands.
Looking back at the fantastic places we stayed at while exploring South Africa’s wild places in 2014…
We spent a considerable amount of time on our last full day at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park stuck behind wide and heavy loads… The Park’s elephant population is obviously booming!
DeWetsWild 