Maloti-Drakensberg Park, Natural and cultural heritage site in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and Southern Lesotho.
Maloti-Drakensberg Park links Sehlabathebe National Park in Lesotho with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its highest point is Thaba Ntlenyana at 3,482 metres. The park covers 242,813 hectares in South Africa and 6,500 hectares in Lesotho, with a 12 km shared border. Vegetation zones range from yellowwood forest to alpine tundra.
The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park was inscribed as a mixed World Heritage Site in 2000, with ICOMOS citing the density and diversity of its San rock art and IUCN its biodiversity. In 2013, Sehlabathebe National Park in Lesotho was added as an extension, creating the transboundary Maloti-Drakensberg Park and Lesotho's first World Heritage Site.
The rock art throughout this land was created by San people over centuries and depicts animals, human figures, and spiritual symbols that reveal how they understood the world. Visitors walking past these galleries can see how deeply connected these communities were to the mountains and wildlife around them.
Several entry points provide access to hiking routes, and nearby towns offer accommodation ranging from basic camping to mountain lodges. Prepare for changing mountain weather and bring proper footwear and equipment for outdoor activities.
This land holds specialized mountain ecosystems that support plant species found nowhere else on Earth. These habitats are essential homes for rare birds like bearded vultures that depend on these high-altitude landscapes.
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