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Zululand Rhino Reserve is a very special place. Not only is it home to a plethora of birds (over 500 species), it also conserves endangered wildlife - and over 30 threatened bird species. We visited this awesome private reserve on a rather rainy weekend to explore its offerings. |
We stopped on a hillside and scrambled out of the vehicle, the better to identify vultures circling overhead. "Lappet-faced," we decided. We had seen them the previous day too, when we disturbed them at a vulture restaurant on Zululand Rhino Reserve. Like many South African vultures, these are a threatened species, and it was wonderful to see them here. "We've got Hooded and White-headed Vultures as well," said our host, Clive Vivier, owner of Leopard Mountain Lodge, one of the accommodation facilities situated on the reserve. "We see White-backed quite a bit and the occasional Cape Griffon Vulture from time to time." Local ecologist Karen Odendaal later told us that the Zululand Rhino Reserve, together with Mkuze Game Reserve, were the only two areas in the whole of South Africa that reported sightings of these vultures during the 2008 National Vulture Count Day.
The Zululand Rhino Reserve is situated between the towns of Mkuze and Hluhluwe off the N2 highway and is an endangered species reserve. It covers some 24 000 hectares and was created when several local landowners dropped their fences. |
Interestingly, it is the same size as the Hluhluwe portion of Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Park. It was originally established in association with WWF-SA and KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife as part of the black rhino range expansion project, which focuses on the protection of the black rhino as well as encouraging these endangered animals to breed naturally. We were interested to discover that, on 23 April 2009, the area was officially proclaimed in the Government Gazette as a Nature Reserve in terms of
 The European Roller was prolific on the reserve. |
the Protected Areas Act of 2004. It is also a Site of Conservation Significance and was a finalist in the 2010 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards for the best overall environmental management programme. Zululand Rhino Reserve is committed to maintaining natural habitat for wildlife and plants in an area which has largely been converted to sugar cane and wattle plantations.
"This Maputoland area is probably one of the most diverse regions in the country," Clive said, as we stood on an aloe-covered hillside admiring the view - and a Crowned Eagle nesting site in an enormous fig tree below. "We have over 500 bird species here – which is around the same as Kruger, not to mention numerous species of plants, reptiles, animals and insects. And the Zululand Rhino Reserve is situated slap-bang in the middle of all of that." Although the weekend weather had not been the best for birding, being overcast, drizzly and blustery, we had still seen a number of birds.
The previous evening, we had enjoyed a game drive through an incredibly green reserve bounded by hills. First-up were a few of the Red-billed Oxpeckers we'd come to see, including a juvenile bird. European Rollers were everywhere – and we caught a few Broadbilled Rollers sitting on power lines as well. Another special bird was the Little Bee-eater, which we don't see very often, perched at the edge of a branch. Paradise Wydahs struggled to fly with their exotic tails, while nyala grazed on the grass below the trees.
The animals were not disappointing either and we saw three of the reserve's endangered species that afternoon. Two rather muddy adult white rhinos guarding a calf watched us from behind the thorn trees as we enjoyed sundowners beneath lowering skies. Further on, we found a pack of some 20 wild dogs, which had escaped to Zululand Rhino Reserve from a neighbouring property.
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Zululand Rhino Reserve is home to several vulture species including the Lappet-faced Vulture (above) as well as White-backed and Hooded Vultures, all threatened species.
Then, as the rain began threatening in earnest, we happened upon two young male cheetahs behaving as though we weren't there, which was rather nice.
The following morning, Clive took us on a birding nature drive. It was a very breezy day but we descended into some valleys where the wind could not reach us – and found plenty of birds. Purple-crested Touraco, Eastern Nicator, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Double-collared Sunbird, more Paradise Wydahs and European Rollers, Greater Scimitarbill, Spectacled Weaver, Black-crowned Tchagra, Dark-capped Bulbul, Cape Glossy Starling, Barn Swallow, Blue Waxbill and Yellow-bellied Greenbull turned up in quick succession. A Yellow-billed Kite wheeled overhead and, from somewhere in the hills, an eagle called. Nearer at hand, a Gorgeous Bush Shrike called but remained elusive. "We used to have Southern Bald Ibis nesting on cliffs, although we haven't seen them recently," Clive told us. We were not surprised to hear that the reserve has applied for IBA status.
Soon afterwards, we happened upon the wild dogs again - and they quite stole the show as they uttered their strange, yelping calls, regurgitated food, lay in the grass and then jumped up to follow one another through the trees. We had never seen wild dogs in such great shape.
The reserve was created to protect endangered wildlife and birds. These wild dogs have now been added to the game species on the property, which includes black and white rhino, elephant and cheetah, as well as 32 threatened bird species. |
Striped Kingfisher
Common Waxbill |
Eventually, they faded into the bush and we set off to find the said Crowned Eagle nest. We descended to a beautiful river valley filled with yellow-trunked fever trees. Some had been pushed over, as the reserve also has elephant. "Our management programme is designed around one elephant per 1 000 hectares," Clive explained. "Elephants have an incredible impact on the environment of other species, so you need to keep a balance."
The reserve is also contributing to the greater good. Karen Odendaal told us that a number of power lines cross the reserve and they will soon be contributing to the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Wildlife & Energy Programme by walking these power lines every three months to record bird mortalities (from electrocutions and collisions) and feeding this information back to EWT. This will allow Eskom to put measures in place to make these powerlines safer for birds.
Over breakfast, Clive explained: "We need to protect areas like this for the next 100 years, to make sure that the birds and animals and this incredible diversity we have here survives."
As we drove towards the reserve gate – with plenty of stops to admire and photograph Purple-crested Touracos, European Rollers, Paradise Wydahs, Fork-tailed Drongos and a host of other birds, we agreed that this was definitely one of the best places to bird in this part of Zululand – with a wildlife experience to match. |
The Birder wishes to thank Leopard Mountain Lodge and the Zululand Rhino Reserve for their hospitality.
Contact Leopard Mountain Lodge: 035 595 8218 | www.leopardmountain.co.za
Reproduced from "The Birder Online" e-zine:
February 2011 issue and used with permission. Web site: www.thebirderonline.com |
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