Сөніп қалған жанартау ішіндегі қорық: Оңтүстік Африканың Пиланесберг ұлттық паркі

Wildlife reserve in an extinct volcano in South Africa

The Pilanesberg National Park is located north of Rustenburg in the North West Province of South Africa. The park borders on the Sun City entertainment complex. It is administered by the North West Parks and Tourism Board. The area lies in the root zone of an extinct volcano, and is defined by alternating ridges and valleys forming concentric rings, a geological formation that rises abruptly in the form of hills above the surrounding plains. The Pilanesberg is named for chief Pilane of the Kgafêla people, who ruled from Bogopane, Mmamodimokwana and eventually Mmasebudule during the 1800s. The 'Pilanesberg Alkaline Ring Complex' is the park's primary geological feature. This vast circular feature is geologically ancient, being the ring dikes that fed a completely eroded caldera created by volcanic eruptions some 1,200 million years ago. It is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its type in the world, the rare rock types and formations make it a unique geological feature, and a number of rare minerals occur in the park. Scattered throughout the park are various sites that are assigned to the Iron and Stone Ages and illustrate the presence of man during those early periods.

The park has an area of , and visitors can travel through in a standard road vehicle. Most of the 188 kilometres of track is not surfaced, and is not maintained in good condition. The three main tarred roads are named Kgabo, Kubu and Tshwane. There are several camps, including Bakgatla and Manyane, serving the park. For day visitors, there is a restaurant and gift shop at the old Pilanesberg Magistrates Court. Near the centre of the park, there is an artificially constructed lake, the Mankwe Dam. There is one perennial river and a number of freshwater and saline springs that form smaller dams with animal hides nearby.

The scenic terrain lies in the transition zone between Kalahari and Veld, and both types of vegetation are found here. As a result of the park being in a transition zone, there are overlaps in mammals, birds, and vegetation. Today, Pilanesberg National Park accommodates almost every large mammal of southern Africa. Distinct vegetation communities can be found in the Pilanesberg. The broad vegetation communities present in the Park have been described as follows:
North facing hill savanna – these slopes receive more sunlight and are therefore drier than the south facing slopes. The dominant tree is the red bushwillow. South facing hill savanna – this area is characterized by hook thorn, wild pear and buffalo thorn. The absence of elephants from the system for over 140 years allowed the mountain cabbage tree to spread through the Pilanesberg. These trees and aloes are sought after by elephants and are now restricted to the highest hills. Pediment savanna – the pediments contain a subterranean layer of ferricrete, an accumulation of hard sheets of iron oxides. This prevents tree growth and maintains open grasslands. Valley savanna – this savanna is dominated by sweet thorn, umbrella thorn, karree, leadwood, tamboti and buffalo thorn trees. Valley thicket – thickets of sweet thorn and black thorn occur on brack soils in the valleys. Rock outcrop thicket – outcrops of red syenite have weathered into a jumble of red brown boulders that support a thicket dominated by lavender fever berry, large leaved fig, and red balloon tree.

The diversity of birdlife is excellent with over 360 species having been recorded. and game drives in open top vehicles. There are also guided safari walks and birding safaris to view more than 300 species of bird with bird hides situated along the Mankwe Dam. Other activities include fishing, archery, tennis and quad biking.