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Photo: Marduk · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Ithala Game Reserve is a protected area located in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of Durban and 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of Vryheid. Encompassing 296.53 square kilometres (114.49 sq mi), the reserve is characterised by exceptionally rugged terrain, descending from the Ngotshe Mountains at 1,450 metres (4,760 ft) elevation to the Pongola River valley at 400 metres (1,300 ft). The name Ithala derives from the isiZulu word meaning "the shelf", referring to the distinctive flat-topped mountain ridges within the reserve.