User:Dvirgeva/Mpongo Private Game Reserve

Mpongo Private Game Reserve ...

Location
The Mpongo Private Game Reserve is situated only 35 kilometres from the popular coastal city of East London in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province. This unique game reserve provides visitors with an unforgettable game viewing experience where true South African hospitality may be enjoyed. A tarred road from the N6 leads the visitor straight to the entrance of the game rich Mpongo Game Reserve.

History
The Reserve received its name from the Umpongo River, which features prominently in Xhosa history. This river runs through the valleys of Mpongo Private Game Reserve and can be encountered on a number of shallow river crossings throughout the reserve. Mpongo Private Game Reserve was originally established as Mpongo Park by Mr. Fred Burchell, a relative of the famous William John Burchell known as a naturalist. His discoveries are to be found in a number of most botanical and ornithological text books. Mpongo Park became Mpongo Private Game Reserve once acquired by Mr. Samuel Nassimov, at 2003, as an expansion of the portfolio of the known South African hospitality brand Premier Hotels & Resorts. Since then the reserve has expanded substantially with the purchasing of farms and rehabilitating of the lands to the natural conditions. Mpongo Private Game Reserve now resides on an area of 6000 hectors.

Big 5
Mpongo Private Game Reserve is home to 4 of the Big 5 namely lion, elephant, buffalo and white rhinoceros although the elusive tracks of leopard have been spotted from time to time by the experienced guides and rangers.

Birds Wildlife
Due to the continuess efforts of the conservation personnel at the reserve, including pioneering operations such as Operation Oxpecker, Mpongo Private Game Reserve had been awarded "Birdslife Friendly Reserve" with a vast population of birds indigenous to the area. Obviously this is an important link in the food chain and healthy environment establishment, however also provides unique and astonishing views of birds wildlife of large variety of bird species making it an avert birders site of interest.

Operation Oxpecker
Operation Oxpecker was launched on the 26th September of 2009 and history was made by the reintroduction of the Red-billed Oxpecker birds to the East London Region with the release of 36 birds at Mpongo Private Game Reserve. Followed by second release in 2010, the project contributed substantially to the rehabilitation of the nature and the wildlife of the South African Bush in the area. The Redbilled Oxpecker feeds on insects and particularly ticks and forms an important foundation of natural Biological Control and Food Chain which was previously broken by human. The project included training of neighboring farmers on the damage of chemicals such as DDT while providing knowledge about alternatives such as friendly insecticides and biologic control.