Our World Heritage Site – The Maloti Drakensberg Park (MDP)
The jewel of our district has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Declared in 1996, it is one of a handful of sites world-wide recognised for both its Natural and Cultural value to humanity. In UNESCO's own words:
“The site has exceptional natural beauty in its soaring basaltic buttresses, incisive dramatic cutbacks, and golden sandstone ramparts as well as visually spectacular sculptured arches, caves, cliffs, pillars and rock pools. The site's diversity of habitats protects a high level of endemic and globally important plants. The site harbours endangered species such as the Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) and the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus). Lesotho’s Sehlabathebe National Park also harbours the Maloti minnow (Pseudobarbus quathlambae), a critically endangered fish species only found in this park.
This spectacular natural site contains many caves and rock-shelters with the largest and most concentrated group of paintings in Africa south of the Sahara. They represent the spiritual life of the San people, who lived in this area over a period of 4,000 years.”
Not only is it a World Heritage Site, but it has progressed to become one of southern Africa’s transnational parks with the inclusion of Sehlabathebe national park in Lesotho.
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