Page 13 - Dainfern Precinct_Issue2_2022

NATURE

Along the Sabie
- best place in
South Africa to
see lions

told that certain farmers were to
be allowed to graze sheep in his
Sabi Game Reserve and around
Pretoriuskop and that, because of
the presence of predators, they
could carry guns.
This dismayed Stevenson-Hamilton,
for farmers had been clamouring
for the reserve to be opened up for
hunting. For a time, sheep grazed
there and Stevenson-Hamilton, in
Typical scene along the Lower Sabie road trying to hold off the pressure of
the hunting lobby, suggested the
influence the building of the Injaka The Sabie is by far the most reserve be allowed to make money
Dam whose impoundment was biologically, hydrologically and by capturing young animals for
completed the following year and geomorphically researched river zoos here and overseas. In those
whose impact will take years to in South Africa. It was intensively days, soon after World War l (1918),
assess. In fact, directly after the monitored during the Rivers Research giraffe landed in England would
dam was completed, in 2000, Programme by scores of scientists fetch £1000 and a hippo would fetch
Mpumalanga was hit by the in various disciplines and, for years, £600.
Millennium Flood, which was said to updated data were sent to around
be a ‘one in 100 years flood’. 100 scientists who have developed In fact, out of desperation, for a time
a more than academic interest in the the warden did just that even though
Some hydrologists believe that Sabie’s health. he abhorred having to compromise
floods of this magnitude are more the conservation ethic. He hoped
common than is realised. Months Kruger Park has continued facilitating a time would come when the
after the Millennium Flood an old staff seminars and appraisal meetings to government would proclaim the Sabi
member at Skukuza pointed out a make sure that what is happening and Game Reserve a national park.
mark painted by Lt-col Stevenson- what is planned for the Sabie River
Hamilton, Kruger’s first warden, on the supports their vision for South Africa’s That’s exactly what happened. In
Selati railway bridge that spans the flagship tourist attraction. Their vision 1926, the government took over
Sabie at Skukuza. The mark showed has been described as “to maintain the Sabi Game Rerserve and the
the height of a flood in 1950. There biodiversity in all its natural facets and Shingwedzi Reserve further to the
was little difference between the two fluxes and to provide human benefits north. The first tourists arrived at the
levels. Later, somebody recorded that . . . in a manner which detracts as new ‘national park’ in 1927. The gap
Stevenson-Hamilton, in 1950, was little as possible from the wilderness between the two protected areas
shown a landmark by a Shangaan staff qualities of the KNP”. was filled in 1944 when Eileen Orpen
member who recalled a flood reaching bought seven farms and donated
there in 1900 – a flood that appeared I have been re-reading Stevenson- them to the government.
to be as high as the Millenium Flood. Hamilton’s book, South African Eden,
and in it he gives an account of Stevenson-Hamilton retired as the
Last year again saw a memorable how, when he was living at Skukuza park’s first warden 20 years later. He
flood along the Sabie. not long after World War Il, he was died aged 90 in White River in 1957.
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