Malolotja Nature Reserve - Mammals
In the early 1970s remnants of the indigenous mammalian fauna existed in the mountains, forests and valleys of the highveld. These included species such as grey duiker, red duiker, grey rhebok, mountain reedbuck, bushbuck, oribi and klipspringer. These species have benefitted from the protection offered by the nature reserve and their population numbers are on the increase.
From the late 1970s to the mid 1980s attempts were made to re-stock Malolotja with larger game animals. These included an interesting variety some of which were suitable and others which were not. At present the larger mammals found in the reserve, excluding those already mentioned, include zebra, black wildebeest, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest, common reedbuck, blesbok and impala. Other species occurring are rock hyrax, scrubhare, porcupine, warthog, bushpig, antbear, Cape clawless otter, bushbaby, vervet monkey and baboon.
Malolotja's predators include aardwolf, black-backed jackal, caracal, serval and leopard. Some unusual species have also been recorded and these vagrants have included African wild dog and hippopotamus. Many species of small mammal have been recorded from the reserve and include a few interesting species such as the woodland dormouse and the single-striped fieldmouse.
Malolotja offers excellent game viewing in spectacular open countryside, and is one of the best places in Swaziland to see some of the rarer species of mammal such as aardwolf, red duiker and oribi.
Priority species: Mammals
| Status | Scientific Name | Common Name |
| I
V R R R V R E V R V O R R V |
Pipistrellus
kuhlii #
Manis temminckii # Proteles cristatus Hyaena brunnea Panthera pardus Felis lybica # Felis serval Lycaon pictus Mellivora capensis Poecilogale albinucha # Orycteropus afer Loxodonta africana Hippopotamus amphibius Cephalophus natalensis Ourebia ourebi |
Kuhl's
bat
Pangolin Aardwolf Brown hyaena Leopard African wild cat Serval Wild dog Honey badger Striped weasel Antbear Elephant Hippopotamus Red duiker Oribi |
Key to conservation status codes
|
E V R I O r e |
Southern
African Red Data Book species
Endangered Vulnerable Rare Indeterminate Out of danger Species not included in the above categories which are: regionally important species, rare in Swaziland or restricted distributions Swaziland endemics |
# species possibly occurs