Matjulu River, Kruger National Park

Afrikaans name: Matjulu Rivier

Matjulu River

Photo © Steven Herbert

Mpumalanga

The Matjulu River is a short river that rises in the hills to the west of Berg-en-dal Camp and flows east, to where it joins the Crocodile River north of Malelane Gate. The S110 gravel road runs more or less parallel to the river and can, at times, provide some good game viewing opportunities.

The river flows past the eastern boundary of Berg-en-dal Camp where it has been dammed to form a perennial water source. This dam provides good game viewing opportunities from the camp. It is well worth spending a few hours sitting on the benches overlooking the dam and looking out for Waterbuck, Kudu, White Rhino and more. This is one of my favourite spots in the camp. Look out for interesting and colourful lizards along the walkway by the benches. The large trees attract a number of birds and you may also see birds of prey circling over the dam and surrounding areas.

Photo © Steven Herbert

The Matjulu River flows under the tarred H3 main road 3 km north of Malelane Gate and this is a good spot to look for Buffalo. The habitat that the river flows through is known as Malelane Mountain Bushveld. This habitat is home to a variety of wildlife including White Rhino, Waterbuck, Sable, Reedbuck, Impala, Kudu and Duiker.

Have you had any good sightings along the Matjulu River?

References and further reading

For more info on Kruger National Park: SanParks

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