NATIONAL PARK INTRODUCTION

Tsehlanyane National Park is only one of two national parks in Lesotho, and makes up an intergral part of the greater Maloti/Drankensberg Transfrontier Park. CLICK HERE FOR MAP OF PARK.

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The park is located deep in the front range of the Maluti Mountains at the foot of the Holomo Pass and only about 45 minutes on a good road from the South African border post of Caledonspoort (Caledonspoort is 15 minutes drive from the popular Freestate town of Clarens and about 4 hours from Johannesburg international airport).

The park is reached by a good 32km-access road that leaves the main Lesotho A1 route, 5 km south west of Butha Buthe. The route passes through the village of Khabo's and parallels the Hlotse River along a very picturesque valley until it reaches the park entrance.

Tsehlanyane National Park has an altitude ranging from 1940 to 3112 metres and is considered mostly sub-alpine. It owes its origin to the access road to the Hlotse tunnel as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. This proclaimed protected pristine area lies at the junction of the Tsehlanyane and the Holomo rivers.

Over 5600 hectares of extremely rugged mountain terrain is protected within this park, which includes one of the very few remaining indigenous woodlands in Lesotho. Some of the finest examples of Che-che, woodland are preserved at the heart of this area, with a number of rare undergrowth plants that are unique to this woodland habitat. On the banks of the rivers and streams are stands of berg bamboo which are of significant cultural significance to the Basotho people. The reserve also encompasses a reasonable proportion of very rare mountain "fynbos" that do not occur anywhere else in the world and also recorded are in excess of 220 flowing plant species. The diversity of habitat types is exceptionally high and derived from the large altitudinal range that the park has.

There has been 24 small to medium sizes mammalian species recorded in the highlands area and these include the African wild cat, black-backed jackal, porcupine, caracal, grey rhebuck, baboon, striped pole cat and rock hyrax, ice rat, the clawless otter (there is circumstantial evidence that leopard still occurs in a few refuge habitats), All of these species with the exception of the clawless otter, grey rhebuck and rock hyrax are considered to be endangered in the park area.

No information is available on the avifauna of the park, other than the limited surveys undertaken by field staff to date. The very provisional list prepared to date indicates the presence of some 69 species of birds

The list included two of the Red Data species listed above (bearded and Cape vultures), and only one (orange-breasted rock jumper) of the three southern African endemic species considered to be globally “near-threatened” because of their restricted range. It is likely that further work will considerably extend this list.

ACTIVITIES

  • Numerous hiking and bridle paths have already been established with the park, one of which is a spectacular 39km trail linking the Tsehlanyane National Park with the Bokong Nature Reserve.
  • Photographic opportunities. Not only is the scenery spectacular, but the fauna and flora offer a boundless variety of photographic subjects.
  • Daywalks: experience nature first hand by taking a stroll in to the indigenous woodlands. Bird watching: keep an eye out for the Bearded Vulture and Ground Woodpecker.
  • Basotho horse rides offer an Ideal way to explore nature from a higher vantage point.
  • Swimming in the pristine streams and rock pools
  • Small to medium sized game viewing with about 24 species present