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The Cape Mountain Zebra Park

Historically, the Cape Mountain Zebra occurred widely Zebra secured, the focus of the Park could be shifted to
in the mountainous areas of what today is South Africa’s biodiversity conservation, and with the help of wildlife
Eastern, Western and Northern Cape Provinces. With artist David Shepherd and several corporate sponsors,
the settlement of Europeans in these areas, and the enough funds were collected to enlarge the Park to
consequent increase in competition for grazing with over 28,000 hectares, which allowed the introduction
their livestock as well as uncontrolled hunting, the of several large game species – notably lion, cheetah,
numbers of the zebras started plummeting. With their buffalo and black rhino – to their former haunts.
plight finally brought to public awareness, the National Sharing the Mountain Zebra National Park with its most
Parks Board (today SANParks) proclaimed the farm celebrated inhabitants is 65 other kinds of mammals
Babylons Toren in the Cradock district the Mountain and to date 257 bird species have been recorded in the
Zebra National Park in 1937. At 1,432 hectares in extent, Park. There’s also a multitude of smaller, less noticeable
the newly established Park was hopelessly too small, animals in the Park, including 45 kinds of reptiles, 10
and the founding herd of 5 stallions and 1 mare entirely species of frogs, and giant 4m long earthworms!
inadequate to save the species from certain doom, and
by 1950 the world population of Cape Mountain Zebra In recent years, Mountain Zebra has become one of
had dwindled to only 91 animals, of which only 2 were South Africa’s most popular national parks, and recently
in the national park that carried their name. That same the number of accommodation units at the Park’s rest
year a local farmer donated 11 zebras to the park, but it camp (which also boasts a small shop, restaurant and
was only in 1964 that the Park was expanded to 6,536 swimming pool) had to be substantially increased to
hectares with the addition of neighbouring properties. cater for the demand. Doornhoek Guest House is a
This proved very much to the zebras’ liking, and by historic homestead restored to its former glory and now
1969 the Park’s herd stood at 98 head and by 1978 had converted to luxurious overnight accommodation in a
grown to 200. Today, the Mountain Zebra National Park secluded corner of the Wilgerboom River valley. There’s
protects around 500 of these beautiful animals, and also a terrific camping site, two picnic sites, an extensive
several hundred more have been reintroduced to areas network of game-viewing roads, three 4×4 trails, a
in their historic distribution range. guided hiking trail and guided game drives available to
visitors. A unique attraction at Mountain Zebra is the
The Mountain Zebra National Park lies at the “cheetah tracking” where guests accompany researchers
transitional zone between the arid western Karoo- and rangers to find radio-collared cheetahs in their
scrublands and the moister, eastern grasslands, and natural habitat. Mountain Zebra National Park is located
protects a wide variety of habitats and landscapes within just outside the small town of Cradock, on the R61-road
its borders. Given its amazing topographical diversity it to Graaff-Reinet.
should come as no surprise that over 700 plant species
occur in the Park. With the future of the Cape Mountain Visit the De Wet’s at dewetswild.com

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