Highover Wildlife Sanctuary

About Highover Wildlife Sanctuary

Highover Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural heritage site. It lies east of Underberg en route to Richmond, on the banks of the Mkomazi River.

Did you know? Surrounded by steep rocky hills, Highover is set on 3 000 hectares of some of the most incredibly scenic land, in the area known as Hella Hella.

The sanctuary includes a number of habitats - savannah, mist-belt forests, mist-belt grasslands and valley thicket. Their anti-poaching efforts mean that you will find fairly relaxed warthog, wildebeest, zebra, blesbok, impala, kudu, nyala, bushbuck, eland, springbok, and mountain reedbuck. And more frequent sightings of genet and aardwolf.

But it is the endangered species that live on their land that hold fascination for the average visitor. Highland safeguard the threatened blue swallow, blue duiker, oribi, African rock python and samango monkey.

Highover sanctuary is also great for bird watching and tree spotting. The broad-tailed warbler, narina trogon, African emerald cuckoo, blue crane, Verreaux's eagle, cuckoos, African pytmy-kingfisher, African fish-eagle and others make the sanctuary a birding highlight.

Highover Wildlife Sancturay was a National Sappi Tree Trail joint winner in 2002 for its over 140 species of trees, including rare and unusual species like white vitex, mountain nettle, marula and shepherd's tree - the latter two fairly unusual for the area.

There is a network of tree trails around the bushcamp for visitors, with tree lists and maps at reception. Bring your own picnic baket or braai equipment, relax in the bushcamp, but book ahead.

The sanctuary welcomes day visitors, who can spend the day at the river, walking the tree-spotting trails, viewing game or just relaxing outdoors within the beauty of the reserve.