History of Timbavati
Landowners who were conservation-minded formed the Timbavati Association in 1956, with the aim to restore the natural wilderness to the area after witnessing degradation of the land. Intensive farming had caused devastating soil erosion and destruction of the indigenous bushveld plants.
To sustain crops and livestock on the farms, water was rerouted to dams, which had devastating impacts on the natural wildlife and their habitats, a lot of the wildlife was therefore subsequently lost to the area. Since the Timbavati Association inception, all the landowners have been encouraged to implement conservation practises and in 1993, the fences between the Kruger National Park and the Timbavati Reserve were removed, allowing the natural migration of species to once again occur.
Geography
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, located in the Limpopo Province, falls within the savannah biome of South Africa. It is a vast natural bush reserve that stretches 40 km from north to south and 24 km from east to west.
Timbavati’s rainy season occurs between November to March, with an annual rainfall of around 550 mm and suffers very hot summers with temperatures regularly reaching 38°C, during the months of January to April. The sandy soil and vegetation are influenced by the granite and gneiss rock formations that dominate the area.
Conservation
Regular conservation programmes using local communities, thus stimulating economic growth to the area, are conducted in Timbavati. The eradication of alien plants is extremely important as they are a great threat to the indigenous species. Timbavati continuously monitors and surveys the vegetation in the reserve and assigns task teams to problem areas.
Fire management is also conducted on a planned basis, using the Patch mosaic fire regime, which simulates natural fires to enable the rejuvenation of the grasses, increases plant biodiversity and species richness. Timbavati Private Nature Reserve is a vast tract of land, which is home to a wide variety of wildlife, some of which, unfortunately, are in demand by poachers.
Timbavati has set up a Timbavati Wildlife Protection Programme as an anti-rhino poaching initiative that monitors the area continuously to detect and prevent any illegal incursions into the reserve.
Accommodation in Timbavati Game Reserve is as rich and varied as the wildlife that you can see here. The Timbavati lodges and camps pride th...
Timbavati Game Reserve covers approximately 53,000 hectares of unspoiled South African nature. It is located on the western edge of the Krug...