Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park, Nature reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Park is a 960 km² nature reserve in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 280 km north of Durban. Its northern Hluhluwe section is mountainous with forests and grasslands, while the southern Umfolozi section lies between the Black and White Umfolozi rivers amid open savanna. A pale reddish-brown dirt road curves through green, shrub-covered hills toward a long ridge.
The protected area took shape in the late 19th century when rhinoceros numbers dropped sharply and only a few animals survived. Conservationists established a breeding program here that saved the species from disappearing and later moved animals to other regions.
The name comes from the Hluhluwe and Mfolozi rivers that run through the park, not from Zulu royal territories. The land holds many signs of Stone Age settlements and iron smelting sites, and the area is claimed to have been a royal hunting ground for the Zulu kingdom in the time of Shaka.
Several paved roads run through the reserve and link the camps in the north and south, with animals often grazing or drinking along the roadside. Early morning or late afternoon drives increase chances of seeing wildlife in motion, as they seek shade during the heat.
The reserve holds the largest group of southern white rhinoceros on the continent, with specialized units using drone technology to counter poaching. This population became the foundation for reintroduction projects in many other countries that wanted to rebuild their own herds.
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