Hlane Royal National Park, Protected wildlife area in northeastern Eswatini.
Hlane Royal National Park is a protected wildlife reserve in northeastern Eswatini spanning flat lowland areas with ancient hardwood forests, grasslands, and shallow water pans. The landscape covers roughly 300 square kilometers and supports diverse habitats for the region's animal populations.
The land originally served as a private royal hunting ground until King Sobhuza II designated it as a national park in 1967. This transformation shifted the area from private hunting territory to a protected space for wildlife conservation.
The name Hlane comes from the siSwati language and means wilderness, reflecting how the local people view this land. The park remains a place where traditional relationships between the monarchy and the land shape how the reserve is managed today.
Visitors can stay in thatched huts at Hlane Camp near the entrance or at Bhubesi Camp in the northern section of the park. Both accommodations allow you to remain close to wildlife and explore different parts of the reserve at your own pace.
The reserve holds Africa's highest concentration of nesting white-backed vultures and the southernmost nesting site of marabou storks. These two bird species use the park's water pans and forest areas as critical breeding grounds.
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