World's First Game Reserve Is Designated
The Sabi Game Reserve, designated on March 26, 1898, holds the distinction of being the world's first game reserve, located in what is now South Africa. Established by the Transvaal Volksraad, the reserve was created to protect local wildlife from hunting, particularly in a region rich with diverse species, including elephants, lions, and rhinoceroses. The area's indigenous San people had lived there for thousands of years, yet the land was initially less appealing to European settlers, who were primarily drawn by its abundant wildlife. The initiative to create the reserve was affirmed by South African President Paul Kruger, and it was officially named Sabi Game Reserve in 1903, later becoming Kruger National Park in 1926. This transition marked both an expansion of the park and the establishment of a structured management system under the National Parks Board. Today, Kruger National Park is a major destination for approximately one million visitors annually, offering accommodations while ensuring minimal disruption to its ecosystem. The park also plays a vital role in local employment, benefiting the surrounding African communities through tourism.
World's First Game Reserve Is Designated
World's First Game Reserve Is Designated
On March 26, 1898, the Sabi Game Reserve was designated in what is now the modern nation of South Africa. It was the world's first game reserve, and today its successor is the largest game reserve in all of South Africa.
It was on March 26 that the Transvaal Volksraad, the legislature of the local Boer people of Dutch ancestry who had settled in the Transvaal region of South Africa, passed a resolution declaring a large area between the Crocodile and Sabi rivers to be off-limits to hunters, in order to protect the local wildlife. Although the aboriginal San people had managed to eke out a nomadic existence in the region for thousands of years (and their rock carvings are one of the region's many cultural treasures), the region was not attractive to European settlers. European hunters, however, were drawn to the region for its rich wildlife. This included big game animals, such as elephants, lions, rhinoceroses (black and white species both), leopards, and buffalo, as well as hundred of species of birds and other animals.
The president of South Africa, Paul Kruger, affirmed the decision of the Volksraad and proclaimed the region to be a wildlife reserve, and in 1903 it was formally named the Sabi Game Reserve. This was changed to Kruger National Park in 1926, and the reserve has retained that name ever since. That year also saw the expansion of the park and its placement under the authority of the National Parks Board, later South African National Parks. The Parks Board was a pioneer in wildlife management, gradually opening the park to tourists and other visitors for sightseeing and safaris. Today approximately 1 million people visit the park every year. Room and board are available on the park premises, although facilities are carefully maintained so as not to interfere with the ecosystem or wildlife. Together with the general tourist trade, the reserve provides considerable employment for the local African population.