Development of the Kruger National Park Through Eleven Decades of It's Life

We thought you would be interested in the time line of development through eleven decades of the Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park has a long history, and after being proclaimed in 1898, and known through out the world as the oldest national park in the world and also being at the for front of technology and new techniques to the preservation of our wildlife resources, it is good to see how the park has been developers over the years.

We hope you will enjoy this as it gives a pretty good insight into how and when things were developed and how the national park today is considered to be one of the most developed National Parks in the world.

1836 – Great Trek

Louis Trichardt was the first white Voortrekker to trek through the present-day Kruger Park to Delagoa Bay (Maputo) in Mozambique. Most of his party succumbed to malaria on this journey.

First Decade 1898 – 1907

1898 – Sabie Established

President Paul Kruger proclaimed the “Government Wildtuin on 26 March 1898. Its boundaries stretched from the Crocodile River in the south to the Sabie River in the north and from the Nsikazi River in the west to the Mozambican border in the east.

1899 – Boer War

During the Anglo Boer War, the proclamation of the Sabie Game Reserve was nullified. This was reinstated in 1902.

1902 – Stevenson-Hamilton

Major James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed as Game Warden of the Sabie Game Reserve in July 1902 and, after a four-month period where he used a cottage at Crocodile Bridge, he moved his headquarters to the old blockhouse at Sabie Bridge in November of that year. He was 35 years old when he was appointed.

1903 – Shingwedzi Game Reserve

An area between the Letaba and Limpopo rivers was proclaimed a game reserve. This area was called the Shingwedzi Game Reserve.

1903 – Wolhuter

Previously a member of Steinaeckers’ Horse Regiment, Harry Wolhuter was appointed as the first game ranger in the fledgling park. That November he experienced a life changing incident when a lion attacked him and he managed to kill the lion with his sheath knife.

Second Decade 1908 – 1917

1912 – First Borehole

The first borehole was sunk at Skukuza.

1912 – Sabie River Bridge

Part of the old Selati railway line and bridge over the Sabie River, can still be seen at Skukuza.

1913 – Telephone Communication

A telephone line was established between Skukuza and Komatipoort, this was considered a huge step forward.

1914 – More Land

The area between the Olifants and Letaba rivers was added to the Shingwedzi Game Reserve.

1916 – Transvaal Game Reserve

Shingwedzi and Sabie Game Reserves were consolidated under Stevenson-Hamilton.

Third Decade 1918 – 1927

1918 – First Tourists

First tourists allowed access to the reserve despite reservations on the part of the governing Board.

1923 – Railroad

South African Railways ran “round-in-nine” rail trip of the Lowveld, along the Selati railway line. Tourists spent the night on the train at Selati Bridge.

1924 – Grazing Rights Terminated

Until 1924 farmers still had grazing rights, and to ensure good grazing for the winter, farmers burned the veld every year.

1926 – Kruger National Park Named

The Parliament of the Union of South Africa passed a National Parks Act, and renamed the Reserve, the Kruger National Park on 31 May 1926.

1927 – Tourism Begins To Grow

The Pretoriuskop section opened to tourists – entry fee One Pound. The route was from White River, via Mtimba to Pretoriuskop and back, on the same route, on the same day. Only three cars entered the Park.

Fourth Decade 1928 – 1937

1928-9 – The Firsts Huts Built

First huts for tourists were built at Satara, Skukuza and Pretoriuskop.

1930 – Visitors

900 cars entered the Park during the year.

1931 – Concrete Dam

The first concrete dam was built at Ntomeni Spruit.

1931 – Tents

Tents introduced into Skukuza and Satara.

1931 – Furniture

Purchase of furniture for huts approved.

1932 – Ablutions

A unit with four bath and four shower cubicles was built in Skukuza.

1933 – Baths

First baths installed at Punda Maria and Letaba. Charge one shilling per cold water bath.

1933 – Boreholes

The first boreholes to provide water for game were sunk.

1936 – Skukuza

Sabie Bridge camp was renamed Skukuza.

Fifth Decade 1938 – 1947

1938 – Hot Water

Hot water facilities were installed and camps were fenced off for the first time.

1935-46 – Eileen Orpen Legacy

Mrs Eileen Orpen bought and donated to the Park, a series of farms ilomete 24 528ha. A memorial plaque in her honour was erected south of Tshokwane in 1944.

1943 – Veld Burning

Lt Col Stevenson-Hamilton reported bush encroachment by tall unpalatable grasses.

1946 – Stevenson-Hamilton Retires

After 44 years service, Lt Col Stevenson-Hamilton leaves the Park.

1947 – Predator Culling

Culling of predators as a strategy to “bring up” the herbivore herds was stopped and left to the discretion of the warden

Sixth Decade 1948 – 1957

1950 – Researching The Park

The research unit was established in the Kruger Park. Dr T. G. Nel was the first scientist appointed followed by M. van der Schijf. Since then the science-management partnership has been very effective in ensuring the regular updating of park policies.

1951 – Electricity

Electric lighting installed. Huts received wash-basins with hot and cold water.

1950s – Veld Burning

Burning of the veld was re-implemented to establish more suitable conditions for grazers.

1954 – Fire Experiments

A series of veld-burning experiments was instituted in the four major vegetation types. This experiment continues to this day which makes it one of the longest fire experiments in the world.

Seventh Decade 1958 – 1967

1958 – Koedoe Tells The Story

The National Parks Board launched its scientific journal, Koedoe, where research conducted in or important to national parks was published.

1960s – Mosquito Gauze

Mosquito gauze was installed in huts throughout the Park during the 1960s.

1960 – White Rhinos Return

The first white rhino reintroduced to Kruger from Natal. In total 330 were introduced over a 12 year period. Their numbers have grown to about 7,000 in 2007 which is the largest white rhino population in the world.

1961 – Foot-And-Mouth

A fence was erected on the Park’s western and southern borders to prevent animals leaving and so spreading foot-and-mouth disease amongst cattle.

1960s – Liquor

Liquor became available to tourists at restaurants and shops during the 1960s.

1967 – Counting The Elephants

This first complete elephant survey was done and 6,600 elephant were counted. This was a very rapid increase considering only 10 elephants were seen in 1905. In order to limit excessively negative impacts on the environment, an annual culling program was initiated.\

Eighth Decade 1968 – 1977

1969 – Relocation

The Makuleke community in the Pafuri area were the last people to be relocated out of the park.

1970s – Engelhard Dam Constructed

The Engelhard Dam, funded by the well-known industrialist Charles Engelhard, was constructed.

1970-80 – Water

This era was categorized by a big “water for game” drive that led to the construction of many artificial waterholes.

1976 – Eastern Boundary Fence Built

The eastern boundary of the Kruger NP with Mozambique was fenced and the park became a virtual “island” which necessitated certain management interventions to compensate for the restrictions posed by the fence.

1977 – Cyclone Emily

The northern areas of the Park were struck by a cyclone.

Ninth Decade 1978 – 1987

1978 – Counting Animals From Aircraft

The annual aerial survey for large mammal was started using a fixed-wing aircraft. This long-term monitoring program has given insights in the responses of the large mammal populations to rainfall cycles.

1980s – Bateleur Camp Created

This camp was built in the late 1980s.

1980s – New Ideals

SANParks began moving away from discriminatory legislation.

1984 – Cyclones Cause Damage

Cyclones Demoina and Imboa struck the Park and rivers flood.

1984 – Berg-En-Dal Established

Berg-en-Dal Rest Camp was opened in 1984. Meaning “mountain and dale”, the camp was a departure from established styles.

1987 – Rivers Researched

The Kruger Rivers Research Program was launched in a response to the deterioration of the perennial rivers flowing through the park. This program played a big role in establishing adaptive management principles in the Park and shaping the new National Water Act that was promulgated in 1998.

Tenth Decade 1988 – 1997

1988 – Piet Grobler Dam Built

The largest concrete dam in the Park was built and named after Minister Piet Grobler in recognition of his work towards the proclamation of the Kruger National Park.

1989 – Cites Banned Ivory Trading

A CITES ban was placed on the international trade in ivory due to the poaching threat on elephant populations in Africa.

1990 – Thulamela Discovered

The Thulamela ruins were discovered by chance by ranger Flip Nel during an aerial game census.

1992 – Worst Drought Recorded

The Kruger NP experienced the most severe drought yet recorded and a number of herbivore populations showed severe reductions due to lack of grazing.

1992 – Thulamela Dug Up

The excavations at Thulamela began.

1992 – Mopani Camp Established

Mopani Rest Camp is one of the newest of all the rest camps. It opened in 1992.

1993 – Western Boundary Brought Down

The historic dismantling of the western boundary fence linking the private reserves of the Sabi Sand and Timbavati with the Park commenced.

1994 – Elephant Cull Stopped

SANParks placed a moratorium on elephant culling.

1997 – Elephant Hall Created

A museum dedicated to elephant and funded by the Gold Fields Foundation was opened at Letaba.

Eleventh Decade 1998 – 2007

1998 – First Black Director Appointed

The first black director of the KNP was appointed in 1998, David Mabunda. Dr Mabunda is now the SANParks Chief Executive.

1998 – Makuleke Rewarded Land Claim

The northern Pafuri area of 24 000ha was returned to the Makuleke people, who elected to use the land as a concessionary conservation area.

2000 – Huge Floods Happened

Severe flooding occurred in the Kruger NP in February with much damage caused to infrastructure.

2001 – Fire Tragedy Hits Pretoriuskop

Large areas of the park were burned due to the high grass biomass resulting from the high rainfall in 2000 fueling fires. On 4 September a great tragedy was experienced when 4 rangers and 20 grass cutters died when a runaway fire engulfed their camp.

2002 – Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Treaty Signed

The treaty is signed by Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe which ratifies the creation of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which will become the greatest conservation area in Africa extending over some 35 000 square Kilometers.

2002 – Private Concessions Established

Jock of the Bushveld Camp, the first private concession in the Kruger, opens. Six other concessions follow.

2003 – Scientific Experience Published

The first scientific book about research in the Kruger NP, called “The Kruger Experience – ecology and management of savanna heterogeneity” was published.

2003 – First Million Reached

For the first time, the KNP received more than one million guests in a 12 month period. Visitor statistics broke through the magical mark on 8 March 2003. Since that time, the park regularly gets more than one million per year, with the current statistic standing at 1,3-million.

2004 – Junior Scientists Programme Initiated

Junior scientist program was implemented in Kruger with funding from the AW Mellon Foundation in the US. This program aims to help young black scientists achieve their Masters & Doctorate degrees.

2006 – Management Plan Written

For the first time, the views and ideas from outside stakeholders are incorporated into an all encompassing management plan as per the new Protected Areas Act.

2006 – Giriyondo Opened

The presidents of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe officiated at the opening of the Giriyondo Tourist Access Facility. This facility opens the border between the Kruger and Limpopo national parks in South Africa and Mozambique respectively as a major initiative of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

So as you can see, it has taken eleven decades to develop the Kruger National Park to what it is today, a truly great place to visit, and a must see and experience for the International visitor to South Africa.

Some photos taken while on safari in the Kruger National Park

Below are some photos that have been taken by previous guests, rangers of Nhongo Safaris in the Kruger National Park during some of our safaris.

        

These photos are intended to show you what can just be seen while on safari in the Kruger National Park. Not only the animals that live in the park, but also the diverse landscape of the park, as well as wonderful sunsets.

We hope you will enjoy looking at these photos, and would sometime in the future like to visit the world's oldest national park.

Kruger National Park Budget Safari with Leslie, David, Ann, Kristin, Maggie and Lakota from the 2nd - 4th March 2011

Leslie Young, David Bradner, Ann Grover, Kristin Hawk, Maggie West and Lakota Beckhorn were picked up from a guest house in Boksburg. After loading all of the luggage in the trailer, it was off on our way firstly to Nelspruit and then onto the Kruger National Park. After stopping off on route for a toilet stop it was onto Nelspruit were we changed vehicles and hitched the trailer onto the back of the open safari vehicle. We left Nelspruit and made our way to the Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park. After gate formalities and a briefing from me, we were off to the camp of Pretoriuskop for a lunch break, before moving on to the camp of Skukuza which would be our home for the next two nights.


After lunch it was back on the road and out to find some good animal sightings. The group had named there trip to South Africa the “African Shenanigans” and they have a facebook page that kept everybody at home informed of what they were getting up to while on vocation. On route to our next camp we managed to find some good rhino, elephant, impala and kudu and with a little bit of on and off rain we still had some good sightings. After arriving at the camp of Skukuza, we checked in and made our way to the “Safari Tents”, were we would stay for the next to nights. Guests went and took a walk down to the river that flows past the camp, and I got the dinner on the go as the guests wanted a “Barbeque”, which in South Africa is known as a braai.

After cooking all the meat, everybody enjoyed a traditional South African braai of numerous different meats, Salads, Garlic bread and Wine.

The following morning, it was out early, and after waking the guests at 04h45, we enjoyed tea and coffee and left the camp to find some animals. I decided to take a drive down the “Napi road” and then turn onto the H3 and see what was going on down there. After finding some good elephant, buffalo and rhino, I was keen to try and find some lions as the group were only with us for a very short time. We turned off the H3 and made our way down the 112 finding more elephant on this road. I decided to drive a short distance down the N’watimhiri road to see what was going on. We had only travelled down the road for about 6 Km’s, before we ran into a pride of lions (two Females and seven cubs) lying right in the road. As we were the only vehicle, we pulled to the side and had a wonderful sighting. Guests got to take a number of photos with the cubs playing with one another. We stayed at this sighting for more than an hour, and decided to leave once we heard that the other open safari vehicles were close by and on route to the lion sighting. We slowly made our way to our breakfast stop, after which we would be looking for more animals.

After breakfast we took a drive down to the camp of “Lowe Sabie”, on route getting good sightings of elephant, buffalo, rhino, as well as giraffe, hippo and crocodile.

After a good morning of game viewing, we had a lunch stop and then started making our way back to the camp for a short rest, before the group would depart on there afternoon / evening safari. The group left on there safari conducted with “National Parks Rangers” and had good sightings of rhino, hyena, elephant and buffalo together with lots of owls. While the group was on there safari, I busied myself with getting dinner prepared. Guests got back at 20h15, and went straight into there dinner. There was not a lot of time to sit around the fire, as everybody had to be up early at 04h30 to go out on a bush walk. Guests departed on the bush walk at 05h00 and got to see a leopard lying in the tree, some good spoor of lions and leopard, rhinos as well as a number of spiders, including the golden orb spider. Upon getting back into the vehicle to head for camp, we got to see another leopard close to the vehicle as she crossed the road slowly. A short distance up the road, another leopard crossed the road, this time a lot quicker than before leaving little chance for any photos. Upon returning back to camp, we made our way to breakfast. After breakfast was enjoyed, it was time for our last game drive on route to the “Numbi Gate”. After the last couple of photos and a toilet stop, we were off in the direction of Nelspruit were we changed vehicles back into our minibus, and headed for Johannesburg. The vehicle was very quite on the way back as many of the group was quite tired for there experience and the early mornings that they had to get up.

Feedback from the group, was that they had an awesome time and loved every minute of the safari, and will be returning to us in order to do another safari in the future.

African Shenanigans Facebook Page

A short video of one of the Sable Antelope found in the Kruger National Park

below is a short video clip taken while on safari to the Kruger National Park of a "Sable Antelope. The park is home to only a very few of these antelope and it is always a special sighting when one comes across one.

Kruger Park Safari with Andrea Differding 17th - 19th February 2011

After picking up Andrea from the Balalika Hotel in Sandton where she had been stating for the last week on business, it was time for me to show here what a wonderful place the Kruger National Park was.

We travelled from Johannesburg via Nelspruit, where we changed over from our transfer vehicle into one of our open safari vehicles. After a short break in Nelspruit while changing the vehicles it was off via the little town of "White River" and then onto the "Numbi Gate of the Kruger National Park. After the formalities at the gate were completed, we made our way down to the camp of Pretoriuskop which would be our camp for the next two nights. After checking in, we had a bit of a break just to get to know the surroundings and a chance to have some lunch.

At about 15h30 and after a briefing from me, we left the camp and made our way down the "Napi Road", which is known to be good with animal sightings late in the afternoon. We managed to find Rhino and then elephant as well as impala and kudu on the route down. I wanted to leave the return journey as late as possible in order to try and find some lions that night have been on the road in the late afternoon. After taking a short drive down the H3, we decided to turn around and start making our way in the direction of the camp. After turning back onto the "Napi Road", i got a call on the radio about lions that had been spotted on our road, so we decided to speed it up a bit and see if we could find them. We got to the area after about five minutes, only to have 14 lions in the road in front of us. We pulled off the road and watched, keeping one eye on the clock as we were still quite a way away from the camp. After about 5 minutes, the lions got up and came to lie right next to our vehicle, only to find that we were totally surrounded by them. At this stage Andrea was taking quite a number of photos as well as feeling quite scared by the closeness of these big cats.
We had this wonderful sighting for about another 20 minutes, before the lions got up and started making for the bush on the other side of the road. It was truly a wonderful way to start a safari getting that close on the first afternoon.

Early the next morning, after waking Andrea up a 05h00, we enjoyed tea and coffee, and then it was off to see what we could find. The road was a bit quiter this morning, but as we were driving down the road, we came across 5 male lions lying next to the road. This proved to be a short sighting as they moved further back into the bush after seeing a large number of open safari vehicles stopped around them. After leaving the lions we made our way down the road, and got some good sightings of elephant, buffalo and rhino. As we were driving further down the road, we came across a leopard lying in the Marula tree, he did not look happy with us, and only stayed around for about 5 minutes, before climbing out of the tree and disappearing into the long grass. We made our way onto "Transport Dam" and after a short stop, we carried on. As we passed the intersection between "Napi Road and the "H3", we came across wild dogs in the road busy hunting, this was a wonderful find as these dogs cover large areas in a day and are very active hunters. After having a wonderful sighting, we went onto breakfast, arriving a bit late but in good spirits after having some wonderful sightings.

After a good breakfast, it was off to see what else we could find. We took a drive in the direction of the "Kruger Tablets", two commemorative plaques embedded in a rock remembering the formation of the first "Game Reserve" in the world in the year 1898.
On route we came across a large herd of female elephants and there young busy bathing in a mud bath next to the road. This was absolutely amazing as it was not 5 meters away from our vehicle. We stayed and watched them for almost an hour and after seen some of them move off, we decided to make our move as well. The rest of the day was spent driving around and getting good sightings of the animals found in the park. we arrived back at camp at around 18h00. After a good dinner, it was off to bed for a good rest before another early start the next morning.

The next morning after enjoying tea and coffee, it was off to find some animals on Andreas last game drive. We got some good sightings of buffalo, rhino and elephant while on the drive, before returning to camp for breakfast. After breakfast, it was time to prepare the vehicle to leave the park as well as pack all the kit.

We left the park at 11h00 and made our way to Nelspruit were Andrea met Mark, and then was transferred back to Johannesburg in time for her flight back to Germany.

Please find a letter, as well as some photos received from Andrea

Hello Verity and Dean!!

Thank you very much for your mail! I had indeed a very nice time in Kruger! Dean was awesome, very professional and answering the million questions I had :-). Everything was better than expected, especially because I got to see many animals. It was very exciting, a wonderful place and I was very comfortable with the accommodation.


I send you here some pics of the lions and also from the Leopard we got to see the last day, it's incredible how camouflage works with these animals! I made lots of pics, many more from the lions, from elephants playing in the mud, from wild dogs, hippos, giraffes,landscape, Kudu, etc,etc! I can send some others if you like.


Thank you very much for such a great experience, very well organized!


I wish you success and also fun with all visitors!


many regards,


--


(`*·.¸ (`*·.¸¤ ¤ ¸.·*´) ¸.·* )


..::¨`·.¸** Andrea ** ¸.·`¨::..


.(¸.·*(¸.·*´ ¤ ¤ `*·.¸)*·.¸).

Letters of THANK YOU received from recent guests that were on safari with Nhongo Safaris

Below are some "Thank You" letters received from some of our recent guests that were on safari with us to the Kruger National Park.


Dear Dean

Thank you very much for a wonderful 5 days safari into Kruger National
Park 12 - 16 March. You were a fantastic guide and host with the bonus of seeing on the last day the elusive leopard!

We will sing your praises for a long time.

Thanks again,

Les and Christine Corfield.


Dear Dean, Verity and Mark,


We enjoyed our visit to Kruger this past week and mark was a fine guide. Many thanks for providing such excellent service. We have had repeated problems with email here in Madagascar.
Many thanks in advance,

Steve Goodman


Hello Verity,

I just wanted to thank you and Dean for the Safari experience. We really enjoyed it and will definitely recommend Nhongo for anyone that is travelling to Kruger. We were able to see: lions, impalas, buffalos, jiraffes, and even a cheetah... Please find attached a nice photo of a Rhino we saw at the road.

Regards,

JOSE


Hi Verity/Mark

Jake and I would just like to thank you both so much for the amazing trip we had at Kruger.
It is the most beautiful and amazing place and Mark was fantastic, knowledgeable and fun. Thank you also Verity for driving us all the way from J’burg to Kruger – what a trip! If was great to be able to ask you questions about live in South Africa and about the park.

We will definitely be recommending Nhongo Safaris to friends and family.

We certainly felt like to left as friends.

Thanks again

Adelle & Jake Van Der Linden
Melbourne, Australia


Dear Dean and Verity,

I would just like to thank you for the unforgettable safari I have had two weeks ago. It has been the envy of my colleagues in Switzerland as well as in South Africa. I hope we can repeat the exercise some time soon!

Kind regards,

Andreas

P.S. I'm really looking forward to your Biltong recipe.

Please find below links to our Facebook, Twitter and Trip Advisor Pages

Nhongo Safaris Facebook Group Page

Nhongo Safaris Facebook Company Page

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Trip Advisor Page

Thank you Letter received from the Crutchfield Family

Dear Dean, Mark, and Verity:


On behalf of the six members of my family who were on a safari hosted by you on 9/26/09 through 9/29/09, I want to thank you for a memorable experience. We truly had a great time, and we got some great photos of animals and the scenery as well. We have hundreds of photos to keep our memories sharp for a lifetime.

Mark was a great guide as he mixed in humor with his expertise regarding the park. Our consecutive sightings of a leopard and its impala kill, two female lions and their zebra kill, and another leopard with its cub and its impala kill, plus another male and female lion were very exciting. These sightings all happened within thirty minutes of one another.

We had seen the Big Five, plus sightings of hyenas, crocodiles, a mother baboon holding her baby, a chameleon (at night), and ostriches, including one with her ten chicks. We saw a jackal during the daytime, which was unusual since it normally is a nocturnal animal.

The scenic views along the rivers were awesome in their beauty with the elephants and crocodiles matched against their natural backgrounds.

Dean, I had extreme pleasure discussing your country and the world's problem spots in route from the park to Johanessburg airport. My family thought that you were humorous too. Many thanks for getting us safely and on time for our flight. May your son have the best of time and experience in the USA!

Mark, I offer my thanks to you for getting me to a safe haven with my stomach cramps. You would make a great emergency vehicle driver.

Kruger National Park is an amazing place to visit. Your country should be proud of it. I would recommend it to anyone in the world.

If I return to Kruger, I will seek you as my host.

In Christian Love from the USA (Pennsylvania),

Critchfield's -- Richard, JoAnn, Becky, Jim, Susie, and Sascha

Some Video Clips taken while on a day safari in the Kruger National Park

Above are some video clips that have been put together in a short video of what a visitor can experience while on safari with "Nhongo Safaris". This video was taken from the start of the day when leaving camp and was ended by the mid afternoon of the same day. In the video one can see just how close we can get to these animals as they just carry on with there daily lives of living in an African National Park.

If any of you are thinking of visiting the Kruger National Park in the near future, please take a look at our website for details of our safaris and how we can make your visit to the Kruger National Park a success.

The Law of the wild say's "Kill only when you are hungry"

Photographer Michel Denis-Huot, who captured these amazing pictures on safari in Kenya's Masai Mara in October last year, said he was astounded by what he saw:



"These three brothers (cheetahs) have been living together since they left their mother at about 18 months old,' he said. 'On the morning we saw them, they seemed not to be hungry, walking quickly but stopping sometimes to play together. 'At one point, they met a group of impala who ran away. But one youngster was not quick enough and the brothers caught it easily'".



These extraordinary scenes followed.

And they just walked away from him.................