Resting atop the almost 2km-deep basalt sandwich of the Maloti (mountains of Lesotho) is the Bokong Nature Reserve – a rare and fragile jewel within the Afro-Alpine ecosystem particular to the Lesotho Highlands and Drakensberg region, that straddles the road to Katse dam.
Covering a mere 1 970ha, it is not the most expansive of the world’s conservation havens but, south of Meru National Park at Mount Kilimanjaro, it holds the acclaim of being Africa’s second highest reserve — at an average altitude of 3 200 metres above sea level.
The area owes its protected status to the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) who, in collaboration with Earthplan, a South African-based consultancy, made an extensive study of the ecology of the area during the preparatory construction phase for Katse Dam, and identified the need to rehabilitate and preserve the area that had become extremely degraded as a result of overgrazing and hunting.
By 1991, LHDA had secured a formal agreement with the local communities to halt grazing of the unique mires, bogs and fens, which occur as a result of the cold environs and high altitudes.
Within the mire wetlands of the Bokong Reserve, 180 flowering plant species have been recorded, together with eight of the naturally occurring 24 mammalian species of the Maloti, including the endemic Grey Rhebok (Pelea capreolus) and Ice rat (Otomys sloggetti).
While Alpine mires remain the most threatened ecosystem within Lesotho, the Bokong region is the only one to enjoy formal protection. By 1997 the government of Lesotho — in support of the visible success of rehabilitation by the Lesotho Highlands Water Project authorities —awarded the area nature reserve status.
Aside from the diverse array of birds that frequent the area, including the Cape Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), Black Eagle (Aquila verrauxi), Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) and Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus), Bokong also provides one of the few breeding sanctuaries for the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), a rare species endemic to the Maloti-Drakensberg region.
The total population of Bearded Vulture, or Lammergeier as it is commonly known, was last recorded in 1996 at 740 birds, with approximately 212 breeding pairs. Because of its decline over the past few decades as a result of poisoning and decimation by uninformed farmers, breeding grounds such as those within the Bokong Nature Reserve have become a vital component in recovering population numbers. The project authorities reversed the negative human interventions through an intensive education campaign across the Highlands.
Raptor specialist, Gerhard Verdoorn, of the Endangered Wildlife Trust commented that while it was difficult to establish whether numbers were recovering, due to the bird’s incredibly secretive behaviour and rare sightings in its restricted habitat, only a couple of fatalities from unnatural causes had been observed, proving the strength of the protection programme.
In 1999, Earthplan completed the building of a visitors’ centre. Precariously perched above a sheer cliff, it is constructed from the local bedrock in a circular design with full-length glass windows. This offers visitors excellent eye-level sightings of the Bearded Vulture across the cliffs and gorge, performing the bone-smashing aerobatics with which they are synonymous.
The Bokong Nature Reserve cradles three main watercourses, all of which form an integral source for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. After its steep descent into the Lepaqoa Valley, the Bokong headwaters, which have their origin within the boundaries of the park, join the Malibamatso River at the Katse Reservoir and continues until it joins the Matsoku river and then the Orange River.
The Lepaqoa River, which originates from within the 180-million-year-old rocky spires above the Mafika Lisiu pass within the reserve, creates a dramatic year-round spectacle for visitors. Before it joins the Pelaneng River lower down the gorge, it tumbles over the falls in a torrent of mist during the summer months, while it is entirely frozen into a column of ice from May to August.
A well-marked footpath laid out by the project authorities takes visitors to the top of the Lepaqoa Falls on a comfortable 30-minute trail, just below the traditional-style accommodation provided for hikers wishing to overnight in the park. Three stone and thatched rondavels, one of which offers sheltered cooking facilities, can be booked for those ambitious enough to undertake the 39km trail to Ts’ehlanyane National Park on the other side of the pass.
The 13 000-year-old presence of the San in Lesotho is well documented through the extensive rock art and caves that punctuate the mountainside and Bokong has its share of historical sites. Also included are the ruins of eight interconnected cattle posts, dating back to the time when the transhumance was still unrestricted. Traditional plants used for their medicinal value can still be found growing around the stone stock walls, while a stone hewn dog bowl bears testimony to the herd boys who braved the harsh winters. Now, a colony of hyrax — the new tenants — bask in the summer sun.
The absence of trout from the Bokong watershed emphasises the pristine condition of the reserve, completely free of introduced species and alien vegetation. With the creation of the reserve, the local communities have begun to recognise the importance of allowing areas of such indigenous beauty to recover if their unique biodiversity is to survive the transition to modern infrastructure.