Hans Merensky Wilderness
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Hans Merensky Wilderness, also known as the Hans Merensky Nature Reserve, is a
protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in Limpopo Province, South Africa. It has an area of about 5,268 ha and lies in the Lowveld between the
Kruger Park Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends from north to south and from eas ...
and the town of Tzaneen. It is located within the UNESCO
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere The Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region is a biosphere reserve situated in the north eastern region of South Africa, straddling Limpopo and Mpumalanga Provinces. In 2001, under the supervision of the then Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), ...
on the banks of the
Great Letaba River The Letaba River ( af, Letabarivier), also known as Leţaba, Lehlaba or Ritavi, is a river located in eastern Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Olifants River. Course It starts at the confluence ...
, a tributary of the Olifants River. The Reserve is named after Hans Merensky, a South African geologist and conservationist. There is an ethnographic museum, the Tsonga Kraal Museum, displaying the culture of the Tsonga people.


Wildlife

Wildlife in the area include
Selous' zebra Selous' zebra (''Equus quagga selousi'') is a subspecies of the plains zebra distributed across southeastern Africa. It is found mostly in Mozambique. Taxonomy This subspecies is similar to the Burchell's zebra, but it can be distinguished by ...
, blue wildebeest, warthog and South African giraffe, as well as the more elusive nocturnal animals like African leopard,
black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas),'' also called the silver-backed jackal, is a medium-sized canine native to eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly 900 kilometers. One region includes the southe ...
and
spotted hyena The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...
.


See also

* Protected areas of South Africa


References

{{reflist


External links


Hans Merensky Nature Reserve
Protected areas of Limpopo Nature conservation in South Africa