74-668: ISimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park ) is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa , about 235 km (146 mi) north of Durban by road. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km (170 mi) of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary , and made up of around 3,280 km (810,000 acres) of natural ecosystems , managed by
148-399: A West African leopard specimen measured 11.25 in (286 mm) in basal length, and 7.125 in (181.0 mm) in breadth, and weighed 1 lb 12 oz (0.79 kg). To compare, that of an Indian leopard measured 11.2 in (280 mm) in basal length, and 7.9 in (20 cm) in breadth, and weighed 2 lb 4 oz (1.0 kg). The African leopards inhabited
222-622: A biodiversity hotspot , but have already been fragmented into two blocks. Large tracts are affected by commercial logging and mining activities, and are converted for agricultural use including large-scale oil palm plantations in concessions obtained by a foreign company. The impact of trophy hunting on populations is unclear, but may have impacts at the demographic and population level, especially when females are shot. In Tanzania , only males are allowed to be hunted, but females comprised 28.6% of 77 trophies shot between 1995 and 1998. Removing an excessively high number of males may produce
296-445: A cascade of deleterious effects on the population. Although male leopards provide no parental care to cubs, the presence of the sire allows females to raise cubs with a reduced risk of infanticide by other males. There are few reliable observations of infanticide in leopards, but new males entering the population are likely to kill existing cubs. Analysis of leopard scats and camera trapping surveys in contiguous forest landscapes in
370-819: A diamond-cutting works, various heavy engineering concerns, the Natal Portland Cement (NPC) slagment cement factory, and the Newcastle Cogeneration Plant (old Ingagane Power Station). This was recommissioned as Africa's first gas-fired power station by Independent Power Southern Africa (IPSA), and it supplies the Karbochem Plant with electricity. The textile industry is a major employer in the Newcastle area, with over 100 factories belonging to ethnic Taiwanese and Chinese industrialists. Maize, livestock and dairy farmers operate on
444-470: A major upheaval in KwaZulu-Natal's political landscape. The African National Congress (ANC), which had won a majority in the province in every election since 2004 , saw its vote collapse by nearly two-thirds, down to 17% and in third place. In contrast, uMkhonto we Sizwe , a new party led by former President Jacob Zuma , became the province's largest party, winning 45% of the vote, primarily among
518-589: A minimum of 21 °C (70 °F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23 °C (73 °F) with a minimum of 11 °C (52 °F). The temperature drops towards the hinterland, with Pietermaritzburg being similar in the summer, but much cooler in the winter. Ladysmith in the Tugela River Valley reaches 30 °C (86 °F) in the summer but may drop below freezing point on winter evenings. The Drakensberg can experience heavy winter snow, with light snow occasionally experienced on
592-537: A range of flora and fauna. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites . The iSimangaliso Wetland Park, along with uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park and Ndumo, are wetlands of international importance for migratory species and are designated as Ramsar sites . South Africa signed the 1971 Ramsar Convention to try to conserve and protect important wetlands because of their importance to habitats and numerous species. The former Eastern Cape enclave of
666-478: A small proportion of their food. In the tropical rainforests of Central Africa , their diet consists of duikers and primates . Some individual leopards have shown a strong preference for pangolins and porcupines . In North Africa, the leopard preys on Barbary macaque ( Macaca sylvanus ). Analysis of leopard scat in Taï National Park revealed that primates are primary leopard prey during
740-475: A very broad diet. It takes small prey where large ungulates are less common. The known prey of leopards ranges from dung beetles to adult elands , which can reach 900 kg (2,000 lb). In sub-Saharan Africa, at least 92 prey species have been documented in leopard scat, including rodents , birds , small and large antelopes , hyraxes , hares , and arthropods . Leopards generally focus their hunting activity on locally abundant medium-sized ungulates in
814-674: A wide range of habitats within Africa , from mountainous forests to grasslands and savannahs , excluding only extremely sandy desert. It is most at risk in areas of semi-desert, where scarce resources often result in conflict with nomadic farmers and their livestock. It used to occur in most of sub-Saharan Africa , occupying both rainforest and arid desert habitats. It lived in all habitats with annual rainfall above 50 mm (2.0 in), and can penetrate areas with less than this amount of rainfall along river courses. It ranges up to 5,700 m (18,700 ft), has been sighted on high slopes of
SECTION 10
#1732791971737888-481: Is Durban , which is also the largest port city in sub-saharan Africa. It is the second-most populous province in South Africa, after Gauteng . Two areas in KwaZulu-Natal have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites : the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park . These areas are extremely scenic as well as important to the surrounding ecosystems. During the 1830s and early 1840s,
962-413: Is 28, an increase of 6 years from 2011. In the 2022 census, 84.8% of the population described themselves as Black African , 9.3% as Indian/Asian , 4.1% as White , and 1.5% as Coloured . A large majority of Black African people in the province are Zulu . KwaZulu-Natal has the largest Indian population in South Africa, with a majority of all Indian South Africans living in the province. A majority of
1036-590: Is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu ) and Natal Province . It is located in the southeast of the country, with a long shoreline on the Indian Ocean . It shares borders with three other provinces and the countries of Mozambique , Eswatini and Lesotho . Its capital is Pietermaritzburg , and its largest city
1110-532: Is a Zulu-style grass hut. The motto is Masisukume Sakhe , Zulu for "Let us stand up and build". KwaZulu-Natal's provincial government sits in Pietermaritzburg . The foundation stone of the new legislative building was laid on 21 June 1887, to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee . The building was completed two years later. On 25 April 1889, the Governor of Natal, Sir Arthur Havelock , opened
1184-549: Is given in parentheses: In 2012, the Ingonyama Trust owns 32% of the land in KwaZulu-Natal, in many municipalities. This amounts to about three million hectares, occupied by over 4 million people. The Zulu king is the chairman of the Trust. The coastline is dotted with small towns, many of which serve as seasonal recreational hubs. The climate of the coastal areas is humid and subtropical, comparable to southern Florida in
1258-452: Is increasingly important to the economy of KwaZulu-Natal. The area's rich biodiversity and efforts at conservation have been recognised. Tourists have come to see the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park , declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites . These two major parks and that of Ndumo have wetlands of international importance listed as Ramsar sites for conservation. Prominent civil society organisations based in
1332-782: Is part of a transfrontier marine park , the Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Transfrontier Conservation Area , straddling South Africa, Mozambique , and Eswatini . The marine conservation area is included in the Greater Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation Area . Until 1895, the bay had been a home of the Tsonga people and their Tsonga fish kraal. This is the original and the natural home of the Tsonga people who lived here for more than 1000 years. Records from early Portuguese sailors correctly point out this area as well as areas further south to be occupied by
1406-656: Is patterned with black rosettes while the head, lower limbs and belly are spotted with solid black. Male leopards are larger, averaging 58 kg (128 lb) with 90 kg (200 lb) being the maximum weight attained by a male. Females weigh about 37.5 kg (83 lb) on average. The African leopard is sexually dimorphic ; males are larger and heavier than females. Between 1996 and 2000, 11 adult leopards were radio-collared on Namibian farmlands. Males weighed 37.5 to 52.3 kg (83 to 115 lb) only, and females 24 to 33.5 kg (53 to 74 lb). The heaviest known leopard weighed about 96 kg (212 lb), and
1480-566: Is preyed upon by thousands of predators, including game fish , sharks , dolphins and seabirds . Usually, the shoals break up and the fish disappear into deeper water around Durban. Scientists have been unable to answer many questions surrounding this exceptional seasonal event. The interior of the province consists largely of rolling hills from the Valley of a Thousand Hills to the Midlands . Their beauty has inspired literature. Alan Paton , in
1554-483: Is the nominate subspecies of the leopard , native to many countries in Africa . It is widely distributed in most of sub-Saharan Africa , but the historical range has been fragmented in the course of habitat conversion . Leopards have also been recorded in North Africa as well. Felis pardus was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae in 1758. His description
SECTION 20
#17327919717371628-638: Is the eastern most province in the country. The lowland region along the Indian Ocean coast is extremely narrow in the south, widening in the northern part of the province, while the central Natal Midlands consists of an undulating hilly plateau rising toward the west. Two mountainous areas, the western Drakensberg Mountains and northern Lebombo Mountains form, respectively, a solid basalt wall rising over 3,000 m (9,800 ft) beside Lesotho border and low parallel ranges of ancient granite running southward from Eswatini. The area's largest river,
1702-499: The Congo Basin revealed a high dietary niche overlap and an exploitative competition between leopards and bushmeat hunters. With increasing proximity to settlements and concomitant human hunting pressure, leopards exploit smaller prey and occur at considerably reduced population densities. In the presence of intensive bushmeat hunting surrounding human settlements, leopards appear entirely absent. Transhumant pastoralists from
1776-637: The Ruwenzori and Virunga volcanoes, and observed when drinking thermal water 37 °C (99 °F) in the Virunga National Park . The African leopard appears to be successful at adapting to altered natural habitat and settled environments in the absence of intense persecution. It has often been recorded close to major cities. But already in the 1980s, it has become rare throughout much of West Africa . Now, it remains patchily distributed within historical limits. During surveys in 2013, it
1850-488: The Star of Bethlehem , due to Vasco da Gama naming the region "Natalia", a reference to the birth of Christ, on Christmas Day in 1497. The strelitzia flower on the shield symbolizes the province's beauty. The assegai and knobkierrie behind the shield represent protection and peace. The base of the crown element is a type of headdress traditionally worn by Zulu elders, that represents wisdom and maturity. The element itself
1924-553: The Tugela , flows west to east across the center of the province. The coastal regions typically have subtropical thickets and deeper ravines; steep slopes host some Afromontane Forest . The midlands have moist grasslands and isolated pockets of Afromontane Forest. The north has a primarily moist savanna habitat, whilst the Drakensberg region hosts mostly alpine grassland . The province contains rich areas of biodiversity of
1998-412: The 20 to 80 kg (44 to 176 lb) range, while opportunistically taking other prey. Average intervals between ungulate kills range from seven to 12–13 days. Leopards often hide large kills in trees, a behavior for which great strength is required. There have been several observations of leopards hoisting carcasses of young giraffes , estimated to weigh up to 125 kg (276 lb), i.e. 2–3 times
2072-764: The British mainly to work in the sugar plantations on the coast. The colony acquired Zululand (the area north of the Tugela River) after the Zulu War of 1879. The lands north of the Buffalo River were added in 1902. Boer forces entered the area during the South African War (1899 to 1902) – also known as the second Boer War – and laid siege to Ladysmith . They failed to build on their initial advantage and for three months
2146-741: The Legislative Council buildings have both been protected as provincial landmarks . They formed a colonial Parliament of two houses: a Council of 11 nominated members and an Assembly of 37 elected members. The Natal Parliament was disbanded in 1910 when the Union of South Africa was formed, and the Assembly became the meeting place of the Natal Provincial Council. The council was disbanded in 1986. The Provincial Legislature consists of 80 members. The 2024 election saw
2220-530: The Legislative Council since 1889. Further extensions to the parliamentary building were made. The building was unoccupied until 1902, when it was used without being officially opened, due to the country's being engulfed in the Anglo-Boer war . The war forced the Legislative Assembly to move the venue of its sittings, as its chamber was used as a military hospital. The Legislative Assembly and
2294-611: The Portuguese word for Christmas, Natal . The Nguni branch of the Bantu occupied this area from the early 1300s The first European settlers, mostly British, established Port Natal , a trading post. They made almost no attempt to develop the interior, whose inhabitants had been decimated by the Zulu king, Shaka . The Afrikaner Voortrekkers entered the area via the Drakensberg passes in 1837. These Afrikaners defeated
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
2368-501: The South Coast, while Ballito , uMhlanga , Zimbali and Salt Rock are North Coast resort towns. Beaches of world-class quality are to be found along virtually every part of South Africa's eastern seaboard, with some of the least-developed gems found in the far southern and far northern ends of the province. Marina Beach (and its adjoining resort San Lameer) was recognised in 2002 as a Blue Flag beach . Some visitors come for
2442-521: The Tsonga people. The area was also known as Tembeland or Thongaland but the name fell into disuse around the early 1900s. The area was ruled by a Tsonga branch of the Vahlanganu (Tembe). The Swiss missionary, Reverend Henri-Alexandre Junod (known as HA Junod), conducted a scientific and ethnographic study of the Tsonga people during the early 1890s and produced a detailed map, showing the occupation of
2516-482: The United States, but not quite as hot and rainy in the summer. As one moves further north up the coast towards the border of Mozambique, the climate becomes almost purely tropical. North of Durban is locally referred to as " The North Coast ", while south is " The South Coast ". The Kwazulu-Natal Tourist board includes towns such as Margate , Port Shepstone , Scottburgh and Port Edward in its definition of
2590-517: The White population is of British descent , making it one of only two provinces (along with the Eastern Cape ) where Whites of British descent outnumber Afrikaners . In the 2022 census, 81.8% of the population reported their first language as Zulu , 14.4% as English , 3.1% as Xhosa , and 1.0% as Afrikaans . KwaZulu-Natal is the only province in which native Zulu-speakers form a majority of
2664-439: The Zulu monarch is considered the monarch of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The King's constitutional powers are limited. This makes KwaZulu-Natal, uniquely among South African provinces, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. As of the 2022 census , KwaZulu-Natal had a population of 12,423,907, an increase of 21.0% from the prior census in 2011 . It is the second-most populous of South Africa's nine provinces. The median age
2738-593: The Zulus at the Battle of Blood River in 1838 and thereafter established the Republic of Natal. Thus, the territory was once part of a short-lived Boer republic between 1839 and 1843 until its annexation by Britain. Many Afrikaner inhabitants left for the interior after the annexation and were replaced by immigrants, mainly from Britain. From 1860 onwards, increasing numbers of Indians, mainly Tamils , were brought in by
2812-489: The annual late autumn or early winter phenomenon on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of the " sardine run ". Referred to as "the greatest shoal on earth", the sardine run occurs when millions of sardines migrate from their spawning grounds south of the southern tip of Africa northward along the Eastern Cape coastline toward KwaZulu-Natal. They follow a route close inshore, often resulting in many fish washing up on beaches. The huge shoal of tiny fish can stretch for many kilometres; it
2886-826: The bay by the Tsonga Tembe people. Junod showed in his map that the area was known as Tembeland and that the Tembe capital city was located in the St Lucia bay, and that by 1906, the Tsonga people occupied the land from St Lucia to Valdezia in the Spelenkon district of the Transvaal province , known today as Limpopo Province . St Lucia bay and Maputo Bay are one land and they belong to the Tsonga people, Tsonga villages were built from St Lucia bay until Maputo and they were not separated by any natural division. Around St Lucia,
2960-599: The border area between Sudan and the Central African Republic take their livestock to the Chinko area. They are accompanied by armed merchants who engage in poaching large herbivores, sale of bushmeat and trading leopard skins in Am Dafok . Surveys in the area revealed that the leopard population decreased from 97 individuals in 2012 to 50 individuals in 2017. Rangers confiscated large amounts of poison in
3034-504: The day. In Gabon's Lope National Park , the most important prey species was found to be the red river hog ( Potamochoerus porcus ), African buffaloes ( Syncerus caffer ) and greater cane rats ( Thryonomys swinderianus ), comprised 13% each of the consumed biomass. In the Central African Republic's Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas , a leopard reportedly attacked and pursued a large western lowland gorilla , but did not catch it. Gorilla parts found in leopard scat indicates that
iSimangaliso Wetland Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
3108-400: The dry season. Occasionally, they successfully hunted warthogs , dik-diks , reedbucks , duikers , steenboks , blue wildebeest and topi calves, jackals , Cape hares , guineafowl and starlings . They were less successful in hunting plains zebras , Coke's hartebeests , giraffes , mongooses , genets , hyraxes and small birds. Scavenging from the carcasses of large animals made up
3182-415: The first Legislative Council session in the new building. This was the former site of St Mary's Church, built in the 1860s. The congregation built a new church in 1884 at the corner of Burger Street and Commercial Road. The old building was demolished in 1887 to provide space for the legislative complex. When governance was granted to Natal in 1893, the new Legislative Assembly took over the chamber used by
3256-808: The first non-white and the first person from outside Europe and the Americas to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1960); Pixley ka Isaka Seme , the founder of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa's first black lawyer; John Langalibalele Dube , the ANC's founding president; Harry Gwala , ANC member and anti-apartheid activist; Mac Maharaj , Grammy award-winning group Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Grammy award-winning DJ Black Coffee , ANC member, anti-apartheid activist and Little Rivonia Trial defendant ; Mangosuthu Buthelezi ,
3330-455: The first to include a portion of road that is made of partial plastic, the equivalent of nearly 40,000 recycled milk cartons. KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with
3404-463: The forlorn crying of the titihoya , one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu , on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill; and beyond and behind them, the mountains of Ingeli and Griqualand East . On Christmas Day 1497, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama saw the coast of Natal and named the site after
3478-555: The founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP); Anton Lembede , the founding president of the ANC Youth League ; Jacob Zuma , the former President of South Africa ; Bhambatha , a 19th-century Zulu chief who became an anti-apartheid icon; and Shaka Zulu . At around 92,100 km (35,600 sq mi) in area, KwaZulu-Natal is roughly the size of Portugal. It has three different geographic areas and
3552-520: The highest peaks in summer. The Zululand north coast has the warmest climate and highest humidity, supporting many sugar cane farms around Pongola. KwaZulu-Natal borders the following areas of Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho: Domestically, it borders the following provinces: The KwaZulu-Natal Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and ten district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 44 local municipalities . The local seat of each district municipality
3626-407: The iSimangaliso Authority. The park includes: The park was previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park , but was renamed effective 1 November 2007. The word isimangaliso means "a miracle" or "something wondrous" in Zulu . The name came as a result of Shaka's subject having been sent to the land of the Tsonga. When he came back he described the beauty that he saw as a miracle. The park
3700-678: The leopard either scavenged on gorilla remains or killed it. African leopards were observed preying on adult eastern gorillas in the Kisoro area near Uganda's borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Throughout Africa, the major threats to leopards are habitat conversion and intense persecution, especially in retribution for real and perceived livestock loss. The Upper Guinean forests in Liberia are considered
3774-515: The line between the opposing forces followed the course of the Tugela River . In 1910, the colony became a province of the Union of South Africa and in 1961 of the Republic of South Africa. When the homeland of KwaZulu, which means "Place of the Zulu" was re-incorporated into the Natal province after the end of apartheid in 1994, the province of Natal, which had existed between 1910 and 1994,
SECTION 50
#17327919717373848-536: The north, Newcastle is the province's industrial powerhouse, with Mittal Steel South Africa (previously ISPAT/ISCOR) and the Karbochem synthetic rubber plant dominating the economy. In 2002, Newcastle became the largest producer of chrome chemicals in Africa with the completion of a chrome-chemical plant, a joint-venture project between Karbochem and German manufacturing giant Bayer. Other large operations include
3922-584: The northern part of what is now KwaZulu-Natal was established as the Zulu Kingdom . The southern part was, briefly, the Boer Natalia Republic before the British took over control in 1843, renaming it as the Colony of Natal in 1843. The Zulu Kingdom remained independent until 1879. KwaZulu-Natal is the birthplace of many notable figures in South Africa's history, such as Albert Luthuli ,
3996-479: The novel Cry, the Beloved Country , wrote: There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles (11 km) into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear
4070-422: The ocean, whales , dolphins , and marine turtles including the leatherback and loggerhead Turtles . The park is also home to 1,200 crocodiles and 800 hippopotami . In December 2013, after 44 years of absence, African lions were reintroduced to iSimangaliso. There are large outcrops of underwater reefs which are home to brightly coloured fish and corals. Some of the most spectacular coral diversity in
4144-489: The outskirts of the city. Coal is mined in the Newcastle area. Offshore mining of heavy mineral sands including minerals with a concentration of significant economic importance at several locations, such as rutile , ilmenite and zircon are threatening the marine ecology of KwaZulu-Natal's coast, including the Tugela Banks. The fishing economy of the prawn and nurse fisheries are also threatened. Ecology tourism
4218-791: The pairwise fixation index of African leopard museum specimens shows differences in the ND-5 locus spanning five major haplogroups , namely in Central–Southern Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, coastal West–Central Africa, and Central–East Africa. In some cases, fixation indices showed higher diversity than for the Arabian leopard and Panthera pardus tulliana in Asia . The African leopard exhibits great variation in coat color, depending on location and habitat. Coat colour varies from pale yellow to deep gold or tawny, and sometimes black , and
4292-496: The population. The province also has the second-highest proportion of English speakers of South Africa's nine provinces (after the Western Cape ). According to the 2022 census , 74.9% of the population described themselves as Christians , the lowest proportion among South Africa's nine provinces. Substantial minorities of the population practice Traditional African religions , Hinduism , and Islam . KwaZulu-Natal has
4366-849: The province of KwaZulu-Natal include: Abahlali baseMjondolo (shackdwellers') movement, the Diakonia Council of Churches, the Right2Know campaign, and the Unemployed People's Movement. There are various game reserves found in the province; one notable example is Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park , where the southern white rhinoceros was saved from extinction. In many of these larger reserves, large animals ranging from several antelope species to elephant , Cape buffalo and hippopotamus can be found. Predators include lions , leopards , and Cape wild dogs . African leopards The African leopard ( Panthera pardus pardus )
4440-652: The province's ethnic Zulu majority. After the election, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which previously had been the province's official opposition party, formed a coalition government with the ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and the National Freedom Party . As part of the coalition agreement, the IFP's Thami Ntuli became premier , making him the first IFP member to hold the position in twenty years. Inkatha Freedom Party's Thami Ntuli
4514-541: The regions joined to create KwaZulu-Natal. Besides its importance as a symbol of the Zulu monarchy, the lion is also featured in the state emblems of the India and the United Kingdom which together represent the three largest people groups in KwaZulu-Natal and also represents the unity between them. The zig-zag stripe represents the Drakensberg , which is green in summer, but snowcapped in winter. The star represents
SECTION 60
#17327919717374588-597: The ruling chief was the Tembe Royal Family, while around Maputo, the ruling class was the Maputo royal family, who are all of the Vahlanganu branch of the Tsonga people. In and around Maputo and St Lucia bay (Tembeland), the language spoken is Ronga , which according to the Swiss Missionary, Rev HA Junod, is not an independent language but a dialect of Xitsonga due to its similarity to it. St. Lucia
4662-645: The second largest regional economy in the country after Gauteng . Durban is a rapidly growing urban area and is by most measures the busiest port in Africa. A good railway network links the city to other areas of Southern Africa. Sugar refining is Durban's main industry. Sheep, cattle, dairy, citrus fruits, corn , sorghum , cotton, bananas, and pineapples are also raised. There is an embryonic KwaZulu-Natal wine industry. Other industries, located mainly in and around Durban, include textile, clothing, chemicals , rubber, fertiliser , paper, vehicle assembly and food-processing plants, tanneries, and oil refineries. To
4736-561: The town of Umzimkulu and its hinterland have been incorporated into KwaZulu-Natal following the 12th amendment of the Constitution of South Africa . The amendment also made other changes to the southern border of the province. The northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude traverses the province from the coast at Hibberdene ( 30°34′35″S 30°34′35″E / 30.57639°S 30.57639°E / -30.57639; 30.57639 ) to northeast Lesotho . The province became
4810-436: The weight of the leopard, up to 5.7 m (19 ft) into trees. In Serengeti National Park , leopards were radio-collared for the first time in the early 1970s. Their hunting at night was difficult to watch; the best time for observing them was after dawn. Of their 64 daytime hunts, only three were successful. In this woodland area, they preyed mostly on impalas, both adult and young, and caught some Thomson's gazelles in
4884-550: The world is located in Sodwana Bay . The reefs are inhabited by colour-changing octopuses and squid ready to ambush unsuspecting prey. Occasionally gigantic whale sharks can be seen gliding through the water, mouth agape to scoop up tiny plankton . Twenty-four species of bivalve molluscs are recorded in St. Lucia Lake, which constitutes a considerable portion of the park. KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal ( / k w ɑː ˌ z uː l uː n ə ˈ t ɑː l / , also referred to as KZN ; nicknamed "the garden province")
4958-473: Was based on descriptions by earlier naturalists such as Conrad Gessner . He assumed that the leopard occurred in India. In the 18th and 19th centuries, several naturalists described various leopard skins and skulls from Africa, including: Results of genetic analyses indicate that all African leopard populations are generally closely related and represent only one subspecies , namely P. p. pardus . However, results of an analysis of molecular variance and
5032-430: Was first named in 1554 Rio dos Medos do Ouro (alternatively Rio dos Médãos do Ouro — River of the Gold Dunes ) by the survivors of the Portuguese ship Saint Benedict . At this stage, only the Tugela River mouth was known as St. Lucia. Later, in 1575, the Tugela River was named Tugela. On 13 December 1575, the day of the feast of Saint Lucy , Manuel Peresterello renamed the mouth area to Santa Lucia. The park
5106-432: Was officially inaugurated as the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal on 18 June 2024. KwaZulu-Natal is the home to the Zulu monarch , currently King Misuzulu Zulu kaZwelithini. As of 2015 , the King of the Zulu Nation is provided a stipend of 54 million South African rands by the provincial government. He is also the chairman of the Ingonyama Trust , which controls 32% of the area of the province. Under provincial legislation
5180-491: Was proclaimed a world heritage site because of the rich biodiversity , unique ecosystems and natural beauty occurring in a relatively small area. The reason for the great diversity in fauna and flora is the great variety of different ecosystems on the park, ranging from coral reefs and sandy beaches to subtropical dune forests , savannas , and wetlands . Animals occurring on the park include elephant , leopard , black and southern white rhino , Cape buffalo , and in
5254-428: Was recorded in Gbarpolu County and Bong County in the Upper Guinean forests of Liberia . Leopards are rare in North Africa. A relict population persists in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco , in forest and mountain steppe in elevations of 300 to 2,500 m (980 to 8,200 ft), where the climate is temperate to cold. In 2014, a leopard was killed in the Elba Protected Area in southeastern Egypt . This
5328-723: Was recorded in South West Africa . According to Alfred Edward Pease , black leopards in North Africa were similar in size to lions . An Algerian leopard killed in 1913 was reported to have measured approximately 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m), before being skinned. Leopards inhabiting the mountains of the Cape Provinces appear smaller and less heavy than leopards further north. Leopards in Somalia and Ethiopia are also said to be smaller. The skull of
5402-483: Was renamed KwaZulu-Natal. The province is home to the Zulu monarchy; the majority population speak Zulu . It is the only province in South Africa that has the name of its dominant ethnic group as part of its name. As with Eastern Cape , most White South Africans in KwaZulu-Natal are of British descent and less than a quarter of whites in the province are of Boer/Afrikaner descent. The lion and wildebeest supporters are symbols of, respectively, KwaZulu and Natal,
5476-630: Was the first sighting of a leopard in the country since the 1950s. In 2016, a leopard was recorded for the first time in a semi-arid area of Yechilay in northern Ethiopia . In Kruger National Park , male leopards and female leopards with cubs were more active at night than solitary females. The highest rates of daytime activity were recorded for leopards using thorn thickets during the wet season, when impala also used them. Leopards are generally most active between sunset and sunrise, and kill more prey at this time. The leopard has an exceptional ability to adapt to changes in prey availability, and has
#736263