A small park saving big species
In the heart of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, where grasslands roll into ridges and the Karoo sun shines golden, there is a national park that rarely makes it onto bucket lists. It does not draw convoys of safari vehicles or Instagram fame. But Mountain Zebra National Park, just outside Cradock and three hours from Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), quietly delivers something far richer: space, solitude, and a conservation story worth telling.
Among boulder-strewn ridges and wind-swept grasslands, a quiet conservation triumph has taken root, where endangered zebras found sanctuary and cheetahs and lions returned to land that once forgot them. This is not the home of your typical African safari, but a lesser-known gem – home to four of the Big Five – worth exploring.
It starts with a zebra
It all began with a zebra, or more accurately, the Cape mountain zebra, a delicate, sure-footed cousin of the better-known plains variety. By the 1930s, hunters pushed this particular subspecies to the brink. A small number remained, hanging on in isolated pockets of the Karoo.
Recognising the urgency of the zebra’s situation, the South African government set aside a sliver of land in 1937, just over 1,700 hectares, as a refuge for the remaining animals. This modest gesture planted the seed for what would eventually become a full-fledged national park. Fast forward to today: the park now covers over 28,000 hectares and supports a thriving population of Cape mountain zebras.
Cape mountain zebras are unmistakably different from plains zebras (or its southern subspecies, Burchell’s zebra), which do not occur in this park. They come with a dewlap under the neck and solid stripes that do not run under the belly. They are also stockier and made for rocky areas.
Mountain kingdom
What sets South Africa’s Mountain Zebra NP apart is its scenery. Vast plains give way to thickets, slopes scattered with boulders, and the Bankberg Mountains to crown it all. For anyone with a love of space and stillness, this park is an invitation to slow down, revealing a kind of drama that unfolds at its own pace. The diverse terrain is ideal for mountain bikers, hikers, and 4×4 enthusiasts, while traditional safari experiences such as guided game drives and bush walks are also available.
Rising from 910 to a lofty 2,135 metres above sea level, Mountain Zebra NP offers a landscape as varied as it is spectacular. At its highest point, Bakenkop peaks at 1,954 metres, offering panoramic views that will leave you breathless in more ways than one.
The park’s southern reaches are particularly dramatic, where the rugged Bankberg mountains surge skyward, with altitudes ranging between 1,300 and 1,900 metres, and some rocky outcrops pushing beyond the 2,000-metre mark. The Bankberg escarpment particularly offers dramatic hikes and 4×4 routes that unveil shifting vistas, making the park both geologically fascinating and visually breathtaking. From the moment you pass through the entrance gate at 998 metres and ascend to the reception area at 1,215 metres, you’re immersed in a high-altitude haven sculpted by time and teeming with life.
Since 2012, the park has been actively restoring degraded land using erosion-control techniques and initiatives to clear invasive plants like prickly pear and jointed cactus. These efforts rejuvenate natural habitats and develop local employment and skills through public‑works programs, strengthening ecology and communities.
Wildlife in Mountain Zebra NP
This variation in terrain means game viewing is diverse, too. Black wildebeest and springbok graze on the plains along with other antelopes like red hartebeest, eland and blesbok. The mountain reedbuck and grey rhebok prefer the high mountain slopes along the Kranskop Loop, one of the park’s scenic routes. One might run into Cape buffalo in the protected thicket and wooded valleys. And a few fortunate travellers may even get to spot the park’s black rhinos.
Big cats were absent from this landscape for a long time, but in 2007, SANParks reintroduced cheetahs to the park, which historically occurred in the region. Since then, Mountain Zebra NP has been pivotal in restoring South Africa’s cheetah population. This rewilding effort began with two females from Samara Game Reserve, followed by two males to establish a breeding population. Mountain Zebra NP soon became a key player in the Cheetah Range Expansion Project (originally the Cheetah Metapopulation Project), an initiative by the Endangered Wildlife Trust to secure the future of cheetah populations confined to fenced reserves across the subcontinent. Cheetah numbers flourished rapidly, prompting early translocations to maintain genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding risk. Since then, the park has contributed more than 35 cheetahs to metapopulation efforts across Southern Africa, including rewilding sites in Malawi and Zambia.
Beyond its conservation science accolades, the national park offers guests a rare privilege: the opportunity to explore the Karoo wilderness on foot, witness these free-roaming cheetahs from a respectful distance, and observe the success of modern conservation in action firsthand. The experience is immersive and humbling: tracking these elusive cats using telemetry across sun-drenched ridges and valleys where they’ve reclaimed ancestral ground.
The park is also home to lions, which were reintroduced in 2013, after an absence of 130 years from the area. At the time, three lions (one female and two males) were introduced to the park. In 2019, the area welcomed its first litter of cubs. This means that the park is home to four of the Big Five (including leopards – only elephants are absent).
This park is also an excellent destination for animals rarely seen in other wilderness areas, including elusive aardwolf, brown hyena and bushpig. Aardvark and porcupine are also seen on guided night drives through the park. And a lucky few have even spotted black-footed cats in the park.
Flora and birdlife in Mountain Zebra NP
The vegetation of Mountain Zebra NP is a rich mosaic of three distinct types: Karoo Escarpment Grassland, Eastern Upper Karoo, and Eastern Cape Escarpment Thicket. These represent elements of three major South African biomes: Grassland, Nama-Karoo, and Thicket. This blend supports high biodiversity, ecological resilience, and scenic variation. The grasslands, dominated by Merxmuellera disticha and hardy shrubs like Euryops annuus, are prone to natural fires and offer critical forage for large herbivores, especially on the park’s north-facing, sun-warmed slopes. The more arid Eastern Upper Karoo shifts with rainfall, alternating between grassy and shrubby dominance. The park boasts exceptional botanical richness with over 680 plant species recorded, including 13 Red Data species. Crucially, the vegetation types preserved here are among the least protected elsewhere in South Africa, making MZNP a vital stronghold for the long-term conservation of South Africa’s unique arid and transitional flora.
Because of the varied vegetation and habitat, including open plains, mountainous areas and thickets, birdlife delivers great variety. With over 270 species recorded, it is a birder’s paradise. Open plains, such as in the Rooiplaat area of the park, draw larks, pipits, blue cranes, secretarybirds, and bustards. The rocky slopes are prime territory for raptors like Verreaux’s eagle, martial eagle, and jackal buzzard. River thickets shelter smaller species. Drakensberg rockjumper and ground woodpecker are frequently seen around the park’s mountain cottages.
Things to do in Mountain Zebra NP
Beyond the animals you can find on self-drive or guided game drives, Mountain Zebra NP holds human history, too. Several rocky areas in the park protect ancient rock art. A guided walk to these sites reveals more than just pigment on stone. It is a glimpse into how people once lived in and related to this area.
There are also 4×4 routes for the adventurous, and two walking trails within the rest camp. Whether on foot or behind the wheel, the sense of space is always present.
On Saltpeterskop, one of the prominent kopjes in the park, British soldiers etched their names and a full-sized chessboard into the rock during the Anglo-Boer War. Legend has it they played long-distance games with comrades in Cradock using signal mirrors to communicate the moves. Guided walks up to this spot are on offer for fit travellers.
Explore and Stay
The park’s accommodation suits a range of budgets and preferences – from camping under the stars to cosy family cottages. The newest addition, the rock chalets, is highly recommended for its views. If you are after solitude, skip the main rest camp and opt for a rustic mountain cottage or the charming historic guesthouse. Prefer camping? There’s a well-equipped site for tents and caravans too.
Mountain Zebra NP may not draw massive crowds like the Kruger National Park, but that is part of its power. It offers a rarer chance to experience South Africa’s wild spaces without the bustle. To linger, to breathe, to watch a jackal pass through the twilight or to hear the first call of the birds at dawn.
Mountain Zebra NP is not about ticking species off a list. It’s about listening to wind in the grass, watching the earth breathe, and witnessing a wilderness that healed itself. In these high Karoo spaces, travellers don’t just visit nature. They walk inside a conservation story still being written.
Want to visit South Africa for your next African safari? Browse our top South Africa safaris here. Or check out our Big Five safaris around Africa here.
Further reading
- From relaxed elephants to hard-working dung beetles, Addo Elephant National Park is another Eastern Cape park worth exploring. This conservation marvel is packed with wildlife, adventure, and history. Read more about Addo here
- The zebra is a firm favourite among safari-goers because of their dazzling black and white stripes and familiar horse body language. Read more about the various zebra species here
To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
