Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa is a highly valued animal conservation area, only accessible to tourists staying in safari lodges. The park is home to a variety of iconic African animals, including the ‘Big Five’, and around 250 bird species. The reserve is malaria-free and also protects archaeological assets. Founded in 1991, it is the fourth largest animal sanctuary in the country and attracts thousands of ecotourists every year. It is located east of Gaborone and west of Marakele National Park, accessible from Johannesburg in three hours by car.
Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa is among the most valued animal conservation areas on the African continent. Entry is permitted only to tourists staying in one of about a dozen safari lodges. Just created in the early 1990s, these 290 square miles (75,000 hectares) of land are located in the northern part of the country along the border with Botswana. Many wildlife watchers hail the park’s mix of Kalahari grassland and scrubland for its iconic gathering of African animals, from lions, cheetahs and leopards to elephants, zebras and giraffes.
The entire wildlife reserve is enclosed by an enclosure, which is home to 66 species of mammals. Lion, elephant, leopard, rhinoceros and buffalo have become the most difficult prey for hunters on foot, but many of these animals are now protected by strict anti-hunting laws. These animals, known as the ‘Big Five’, are just a few of the many species of iconic African animals on display at Madikwe Game Reserve. Herds of giraffe, antelope, impala and wildebeest graze as they are hunted down by predators such as lion, cheetah, hyena and leopard. Monkeys and baboons avoid the action and snakes, as they swing through the scattered trees.
Sightings of around 250 bird species have also occurred in Madikwe Game Reserve. An added feature, touting the park’s management, is the area’s malaria-free status. Occasionally, the government’s Department of Nature Conservation organizes cull hunts to control certain animal populations. The meat is often sold on the local market. Otherwise hunting is largely prohibited. Madikwe Game Reserve also protects archaeological assets, showing evidence of civilization dating back to the Stone Age.
This nature reserve is among the youngest protected areas in the country, founded in 1991 by the government and some private investors. Despite this, it has been declared the fourth largest animal sanctuary in the country, attracting thousands of ecotourists every year. The oldest, Hluhluwe Game Reserve, near the eastern coast of the Indian Ocean, was fenced in 1895.
Madikwe Game Reserve is just east of the city of Gaborone and just west of the more famous Marakele National Park. The latter park forms a diversely populated base for the mammoth Fahad Game Reserve, which eclipses all other nearby reserves in size. This region, accessible from Johannesburg in three hours by car, is filled with wildlife-viewing opportunities. Also close to the Madikwe area are the Atherstone and Mokolodi nature reserves. All three of these reserves are similar in size, but Madikwe is considered the fourth largest in all of South Africa.
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