Northern Tuli Game Reserve
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is situated in the easternmost corner of Botswana, in a unique and historically significant location where the country meets its neighbours Zimbabwe and South Africa and at the confluence of two great rivers, the Limpopo and the Shashe. It forms a key part of the proposed Greater Mapungubwe Trans Frontier Conservation Area (for more information on the TFCA please visit the Peace Parks or SAN Parks web sites – please see our links page).
Tuli is scenically very different to the rest of Botswana, with dominant basalt formations and large areas of sandstone hills and ridges, together with a network of (mostly dry) riverbeds and riverine forests as well as open grasslands and marshy areas. From vantage points on top of the rock formations, the plains of Botswana stretch away to the north.
The Reserve was created in 1964 and extends to 78000 hectares, shared between private landowners and local communities. The area is home to a diverse range of wildlife, renowned for its Tuli elephants - the largest elephant population on private land in Africa, and is recognised as an Important Bird Area with over 350 species recorded – please see our Tuli Bird List and Tuli Mammal, Reptile & Tree Lists. A pack of wild dog has recently been reintroduced to the reserve (for more information, please click here), and there are plans to reintroduce black rhino over the next few years.
The Reserve is also fascinating from a historical perspective. Bushmen paintings provide a reminder of the area’s original inhabitants many thousands of years ago. Remains of ancient settlements relating to the Mapungubwe era (circa 1200-1270 AD) are dotted throughout the area. The reserve also played a role in Rhodes’ southern African empire-building and witnessed several conflicts during the Boer War.
