Kruger National Park to Mark 100 Years of Conservation on 31 May 2026
South Africa's Kruger National Park will celebrate its centenary on 31 May 2026, marking 100 years since the country's first national park was formally established in 1926. Spanning 19,623 square kilometres across Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, the park is home to 147 mammal species - including the Big Five - more than 500 bird species, and a vast array of reptiles, amphibians, and plant life. Its origins date to 1898, when President Paul Kruger advocated for the proclamation of the Sabie Game Reserve in response to declining game populations, with warden James Stevenson-Hamilton appointed in 1902 to establish effective game management before the reserve was formally elevated to national park status in 1926. Today, Kruger attracts nearly two million visitors annually, generates more than R800 million in tourism revenue, and forms an integral part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, encompassing wildlife areas in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The centenary arrives at a challenging moment for the park, with climate change shifting rainfall patterns and drying waterholes, ongoing pressure from poaching, and calls from adjacent communities for greater economic inclusion and cultural recognition. Niko Allie, deputy director at the Government Communication and Information System, said the milestone is an opportunity to connect staff, surrounding communities, and visitors in honouring the park's history while looking ahead to the next century of biodiversity conservation.
Source: Nova News
