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The first evidence of human occupation in and around the Kruger Park
stems from the one hundred rock paintings and 300 archaeological sites left
by early humans thousands of years ago.
François de Cuiper, who led a Dutch East India Company expedition to the
Kruger, was the first recorded European in the region. His expedition
however was thwarted by an attack by local tribesmen.
Europeans and local farmers were attracted to the region by rumours of
gold, and by the trade in precious goods such as ivory and skins. The rapid
obliteration of the wildlife was noted by then president Paul Kruger, and he
urged the Transvaal government to establish a wildlife reserve for the
protection of the species. The Sabie Game Reserve, bordered by the Crocodile
River in the south, the Sabie River in the north, the Lebombo Mountains in
the east and the Drakensberg Mountains in the west, was established in 1898.
Scottish-born James Stevenson-Hamilton was appointed Sabie's head ranger in
1902. He proved to be a man with vision and fortitude, and eliminated
poaching on the reserve. Not long after his arrival he was called Skukuza -
he who sweeps clean - by the nearby Moçambique tribes. By 1905, the Park had
expanded to seventeen thousand kilometres. In the 1920's it became clear
that game reserves had tourist potential. Stevenson-Hamilton set out to
exploit this new source of income. When he learned that the South African
Railways had a nine day tour of the lowveld he immediately arranged an
overnight stop at Sabie Bridge to be part of the itinerary. As public
knowledge grew so did funds. The Park was opened to the general public in
1927. Over the years, the Kruger Park changed from an inaccessible expanse
of wilderness with few camping areas and fewer roads to what it is today - a
well-run National Park that is a national flagship for conservation.
One of the men who was in large part responsible for this remarkable
transformation was James Stevenson-Hamilton, undeniable father of the Kruger
National Park - "I had at least brought up Cinderella and launched her on
her career. I loved her best when she was a pathetic and dust-covered
little wench, derided and abused. Always I felt that, giver her chance, and
her attractions recognised, unlimited possibilities lay before her. Now that
she had become a Great Lady it was fitting she should be provided with
custodians better suited to provide her new requirements (Upon retiring,
1946)."
In 1950 a research station was opened in Skukuza, which heralded a new
era - research continues to this day, and Skukuza is still where the main
research centre is housed. Nine years later an eighteen hundred kilometres
fence protected the animals from the Kruger National Park from the outside
world. Since traditional migrating routes of the herds were now cut off this
caused many problems, which needed careful management.
On the 31st of May 1972 the Sabie and Shingwedzi reserves together with
70 privately owned farms were consolidated into the Kruger National Park,
one of the great game parks of Africa. Important also was the Act of
Parliament by which the park was established.
The last few years have seen the removal of fences separating the Kruger
Park from the neighbouring reserves - Sabi Sand, Timbavati and Thornybush,
allowing animals access to increased requisite resources and allowing
tourists increased access to the game. In addition, the Kruger Park, which
currently covers 2 million hectares, is to be extended into a Peace Park -
the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This massive reserve will incorporate
the Kruger National Park, the Limpopo National Park of Mozambique and the
Gonarezhou National Park of Zimbabwe into a 36000 square kilometre park
larger than Switzerland.
The Kruger Park has been lauded for the professional management of its
wildlife and people. It is a living monument to President Paul Kruger, James
Stevenson-Hamilton and those that fought for the establishment of a large
wilderness reserve, where dwindling African wildlife may still find refuge.
The Kruger Park offers, without a doubt, one of the best wildlife viewing
experiences in the world.
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