Tsehlanyane National Park

Tsehlanyane National Park occupies a valley and lower slopes of the Hololo mountains in the Berea District, approximately 30 kilometres north of the town of Teyateyaneng. The park covers approximately 5,800 hectares and contains one of the largest remaining intact tracts of Lesotho's indigenous forest, a habitat type that has been drastically reduced across the country by grazing and agriculture.

The dominant tree species in the Tsehlanyane forest is the wild pear, or dihlabatsi in Sesotho, which grows to twelve metres or more and creates a dense canopy over the valley floor. The forest is densest in the valley bottom where the river provides permanent water, and the composition changes as the terrain rises through scrub and grassland to the rocky upper slopes of the surrounding ridges. In autumn the wild pear trees lose their leaves and the forest becomes more open, making the walking easier and the birdlife more visible.

Two hiking trails maintained by the park traverse the main valley and climb to the upper slopes. The shorter loop follows the valley floor and is accessible to most visitors with a moderate level of fitness; the longer trail climbs through the forest to the ridge above the valley, where views extend across the Berea District and on clear days to the distant highlands. The longer route is approximately twelve kilometres and requires a full day.

The park supports a range of wildlife that has largely disappeared from the surrounding lowlands. The river holds an population of the Maloti minnow, a small endangered fish found only in Lesotho's high-altitude streams. The Lammergeier bearded vulture, one of southern Africa's rarest raptors, is observed regularly in the park and nests on the cliffs above the upper forest. The park also provides habitat for the Cape clawless otter and the klipspringer antelope.

The nearest town is Teyateyaneng, which serves as the administrative centre for the Berea District and has basic guesthouses and a market. The park is reached by a secondary road that leaves the A3 approximately 15 kilometres north of Teyateyaneng; the road deteriorates rapidly after the junction and a high-clearance vehicle is advisable at any time of year, and essential in the wet season from November to March.

The forest in the park represents a remnant of a vegetation type that once covered much of the Lesotho lowlands. Before the widespread introduction of livestock grazing, the wild pear and associated species would have formed a nearly continuous forest belt across the foothills. Today the Tsehlanyane and nearby forest patches are all that remain, and their conservation is critical for maintaining the species that depend on the forest ecosystem.

Birdwatching in the park rewards patient visitors with sightings of the bearded vulture, the black eagle, the cinnamon dove and the Cape rock thrush. The forest also supports several species of sunbird that are more typically associated with the Drakensberg highlands further north.

Tsehlanyane contains one of the two largest remaining areas of Lesotho's native forest, an ecosystem that has been reduced to a small fraction of its historical range.

The park offers well-maintained hiking trails through a complete altitudinal gradient from valley floor to exposed ridge, in a landscape that remains relatively undisturbed.

The presence of the endangered Maloti minnow and the regular sighting of Lammergeier bearded vultures give the park genuine conservation significance beyond its value as a scenic destination.