Itala Game Reserve
Ithala Game Reserve
Location	KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Nearest city	Durban, South AfricaNearest city: Durban, South Africa
Area	290 km2
Established	1973 Established: 1973
Governing body	Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife

Itala Game Reserve, 290 km² of rugged, mountainous thornveld in northern KwaZulu-Natal, about 400 km north of Durban. It is one of the youngest game parks in South Africa. The altitude varies from 400 m (Pongola River) to 1450 m (Ngotshe Mountains), so there is a great variation of terrain which extends over lowveld and densely vegetated river valleys to high-lying grassland plateaus, ridges and cliff faces.

All the big game species have been re-established with the exception of lion.

[edit] History

• In the late 1800s land was given by King Dinizulu to white farmers.
• In 1973 the then Natal Parks Board started buying up farms in this area to make up this Reserve.

[edit] Trivia

• There are two abandoned gold mines found at Itala.

[edit] See also

• List of conservation areas of South Africa

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government homepage
• Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (previous known as Natal Parks Board)
• South African National Parks Official Site