Tankwa Karoo National Park

Tankwa Karoo National Park is a Scientific National Park in South Africa. The park lies about 70 km due west of Sutherland, South Africa near the border of the Northern Cape and Western Cape, in one of the most arid regions of South Africa, receiving 50 to 70 mm of precipitation in an average year. The mean January temperature in the park is 38.9 °C, and in July the average is 5.7 °C. Declared a national park in 1986, the area is still closed to the public while an infrastructure of roads and accommodation is developed. Before this Park's proclamation, the only protected area of Succulent Karoo was the 2 square kilometre patch of the Gamka Mountain Nature Reserve. Succulent Karoo has, together with the Cape Floral Kingdom, been declared a Biodiversity Hotspot by Conservation International.

Tankwa's area has been increased from an initial 280 to 1110 km². It is bounded on the east by the Roggeveld Mountains, on the west by the Cederberg, to the north by the Kouebokkeveld Mountains and on the south by the scattered foothills of the Koedoesberge and Klein Roggeveld Mountains, and the Tankwa River. The park's headquarters are located at Paulshoek on the Renoster River in an old farmhouse converted to offices and a visitor reception area.

In 1998 Conrad Strauss sold 280 km² of sheep farm to the South African National Parks. The park has started with the reintroduction of game that used to occur naturally in the area. Research was done beforehand to ensure that introduced animals would survive on the overgrazed veld. The vegetation in the park falls within the Succulent Karoo biome and has been described as very sparse shrubland and Dwarf Shrubland. The park is home to a large variety of birds, such as the Black-headed Canary, Ludwig’s Bustard, and the Blackeared Sparrowlark. Peak birding season is August to October.

List of mammals

List of birds

References

* [http://www.sanparks.org/parks/tankwa/tourism/general.php South African National Parks]
* [http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/010337.asp Tankwa Karoo birding]
* [http://www.sanparks.org/groups/birders/checklists/birds-tankwa.pdf Tankwa Karoo birdlist]
* [http://www.visitsouthafrica.com/National_Parks/Tankwa_Karoo_np.asp Visit South Africa]