Mokala National Park

“Where Endangered Species Roam”…Mokala is SANParks’ newest park. It is situated approximately 70km south-southwest of Kimberley, and west of the N12 freeway to Cape Town. Nestled in the hills, Mokala’s landscape boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and large open plains.

This is South Africa’s newest Park, proclaimed as recently as June 2007, and is conveniently situated only 80km south west of Kimberley. Mokala is a Setswana name for a Camelthorn tree (Kameeldoring) (Acacia erioloba), and this Park is dominated by magnificent specimens of these picturesque gnarled and twisted trees. They vary from a small spiny shrubs barely 2m high, to a 16m high trees with wide, spreading crowns.

Mokala National Park’s 27 500ha landscape varies between koppieveld (hills) and large open plains with the isolated dolerite hills giving the place a feeling of calm seclusion that contrasts with the large open sandy plains in the north and west of the Park. Drainage lines from the hills form little tributaries that run into the plains that drain into the Riet River on the Park’s northern border.

Mokala is an important area for the regeneration of valuable species and is home to, amongst other species, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Buffalo, Tsessebe, Roan Antelope, Sable Antelope, Mountain Reedbuck, Giraffe, Gemsbok, Eland, Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Kudu, Ostrich, Steenbok, Duiker and Springbok.

Situated in the transition zone between the Karoo and Kalahari biome, Mokala’s thornveld savanna, dolerite outcrops and riverine vegetation attract a prolific number of bird species. Some of which include; the black-chested prinia, blacksmith lapwing, melodious lark, cinnamon-breasted bunting, freckled nightjar, short-toed rock thrush, pygmy falcon and northern black korhaan.