Tembe Elephant Park

Tembe Elephant Park protects the largest free-roaming elephants in Africa — the legendary Tembe tuskers — in 300 square kilometres of sand forest and wetland on the Mozambique border in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Established in 1983 by the Tembe Tribal Authority and KZN Wildlife to protect the last remaining elephants in the region, the park is community-owned and managed, making it one of South Africa's most important community conservation success stories. The dense sand forest habitat is unique in South Africa and supports Big Five wildlife including lion, leopard, buffalo, and both black and white rhino. Tembe's remoteness and thick vegetation create a genuinely wild experience, though the dense bush means patience is required for sightings. The park is also a birding hotspot with over 340 species including several tropical specials at their southern range limit.