Mkhaya Game Reserve

Mkhaya Game Reserve was established in 1979 to save Nguni cattle, which were close to extinction, and has gone on to include other endangered species such as black rhino, roan antelope, sable antelope, tsessebe, white rhino, elephant and other locally endangered species.^[1][2]

Nguni Cow Herd (Makatini ecotype)

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Mkhaya Game Reserve is named after the knobthorn tree which is known as mkhaya in siSwati).^[3]

It is situated in lowveld wilderness in the southeast of Swaziland and is made up of acacia-dominated thornveld in the south and broadleaf sandveld in the north. The reserve has many dry riverbeds, is dotted with waterholes and has a network of game-viewing roads.^[1]

Birds of note include Narina Trogon, Purple-crested Turaco, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike and Pygmy Kingfisher.^[2]

Mkhaya is staffed and patrolled entirely by local Swazis. All travel within the reserve is guided and require pre-booking. It is self-financed solely through visitor revenues.^[1]

Trials were started in 2009 to find a financially viable and humane method to control the elephant population by performing vasectomies on some bull elephants.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Mkhaya: Swaziland's Refuge for Endangered Species". Malkerns, Swaziland: Big Game Parks. http://www.biggameparks.org/3parks_mkhaya.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "SWAZILAND - MKHAYA GAME RESERVE". Game-Reserve.com. http://www.game-reserve.com/swaziland_mkhaya.html. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
3. ^ "Swaziland's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses". Lobamba: Swaziland National Trust Commission. http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/clusagelist.asp?uid=11. Retrieved 2009-10-09. 
4. ^ "Swazi elephants get vesectomies". www.iol.co.za (Independent Online). August 10 2009. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=vn20090810034137600C139663. Retrieved 2009-10-11. 

Coordinates: 26°36′S 31°44′E / 26.60°S 31.73°E / -26.60; 31.73