The Karoo National Park was established on the outskirts of Beaufort West to conserve a representative sample of the region’s unique heritage. It has been enlarged over the years and now encompasses vast, flat plains as well as the rugged Nuweveld Mountains. Animals such as mountain reedbuck, grey rhebok, kudu steenbok, jackal and aardwolf occur naturally, while reintroduced species include, springbok, hartebeest, gemsbok (oryx), black wildebeest (gnu), Cape mountain zebra and the endangered black rhino and riverine rabbit. Predators are represented by leopard, caracal, black backed jackal, Cape fox, bat eared fox and several mongoose species. Some 196 bird species have been recorded, and the park also sustains more than 20 black eagle pairs
A 4-wheel-drive trail has been laid out in the rugged western region of the Karoo National park and night drives provide the very best chances of seeing many of the region’s shy nocturnal animals such as the aardwolf.
The short Fossil and Bossie trails are accessible from the rest camp if the Karoo National Park and allow visitors to learn about the Karoo’s fascinating 250-million-year old geological history and its unique vegetation. There is wealth of fossils found here to remind the visitor what conditions were like way back then. A number of fossilized remains have been prepared by staff of the South African Museum and are on display in glass cases. Where the Fossil trail leaves off the Bossie trail takes over. Visitors can enjoy the variety of flowers and shrub found in the area. The trail brochures will point out the favourite vegetation of the browsing game animals as well as those which are avoided because they are unpalatable or downright poisonous.
An eagle soaring over mountainous country is one of nature’s most evocative sights and the bleack eagle of the Karoo National Park, displaying its distinctive flight silhouette, provides a glorious counterpoint to the stark Karoo landscape. |
