Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area
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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. It straddles the border between South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province, southern Mozambique, and Swaziland.
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[edit] Overview
The Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area covers 4,195 square kilometres (1,620 sq mi), of which 2,783 square kilometres (1,075 sq mi) (66%) is in Mozambique, 1,095 square kilometres (423 sq mi) (26%) is in South Africa, and 317 square kilometres (122 sq mi) (8%) is in Swaziland. It is situated on a low-lying coastal plain between the Lebombo Mountains in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east. The area offers a unique combination of big-game country, extensive wetlands, and beautiful undeveloped coastal areas. It links the Maputo Elephant Reserve in Mozambique through the Futi Corridor and the Lubombo Conservancy in Swaziland to the Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa, creating the first major elephant stronghold along Africa's eastern coastline.
[edit] Maputo Elephant Reserve
Locally known as Reserva Especial, this 1,040 square kilometres (400 sq mi) reserve is situated in the southernmost part of Mozambique, 79 km south of Maputo, in the province of Maputo. It is bounded on the east by the Indian Ocean, and on the west by the Rio Maputo.
In 1975 before the Mozambique civil war, vast numbers of wildlife including 65 White Rhinoceros where relocated from Umfolozi Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Sadly no rhinoceros and only some 200 elephant survived the 14-year war.
[edit] Tembe Elephant Park
Tembe is situated in Maputaland, in the north-eastern region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa adjoining the Mozambique border. It is home to the province's biggest African elephant herd and its only indigenous elephants. Tembe's 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi) comprises a variety of unique sand forest, woodland, grassland and swampland habitats.
[edit] The Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in the Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area was proclaimed a World Heritage Site in November 1999. The site is the largest estuarine system in Africa and includes the southernmost extension of coral reefs on the continent. Efforts are ongoing to extend the existing World Heritage Site northwards to encompass the Mozambican section of the TFCA, which includes a marine protected area.
[edit] Lubombo Conservancy
Situated in the north eastern part of Swaziland in the Lubombo Region. This protected 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi) area includes the Hlane Royal National Park, the Mlawula Nature Reserve, the Shewula Community Nature Reserve, the Mbuluzi Game Reserve the Nkhalashane Siza Ranch and the Inyoni Yami Swaziland Irrigation Scheme, (also known as the IYSIS).
[edit] Plans
This park is to become part of the: Greater Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Protected areas of South Africa
- List of conservation areas of Mozambique
- Protected areas of Swaziland
- Usuthu-Tembe-Futi Transfrontier Conservation Area
