WILDERNESS AREAS - HISTORY
Beginnings....
The first wilderness areas were set aside in the then Province of Natal in the Umfolozi and St. Lucia Game Reserves in 1958. The Natal Parks Board took a very bold step to set aside portions of these two protected areas where no permanent development is permitted. The access to these areas by both management staff and visitors is on foot or horseback and in the case of St. Lucia, by canoe.

These areas have over the years provided visitors great opportunities to break from their highly technological and stressful world. Both spiritual and physical rejuvenation is achieved in the space of a few days through the solitude and the beauty of the pristine wilderness unspoilt by modern man. This rejuvenation is made possible by physical exertion through the mountains of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park and the thorn savannah and wild animals of the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park or by just sitting on the edge of Lake St Lucia Wetland, World Heritage Site and watching the setting sun.

In the mid 1940's the Department of Water Affairs began to proclaim wilderness areas in South Africa's National State Forests which included large areas of the Drakensberg mountains.

This step placed South African in the forefront with other leading countries world wide in respect of wilderness conservation. KZN Wildlife has inherited these areas and is charged with the management of them in such a way as to ensure that the wilderness resource of solitude and the pristine characteristics are preserved.

The Service strives to do this by working with individuals and organisations to ensure that this resource is conserved. The challenge is to educate all of South Africa's peoples to learn to appreciate the values of wilderness to society and use it to enhance the wilderness resource and unique character of each area.