Ts'ehlanyame National Park

Ts'ehlanyane National Park is the largest National Park in Lesotho, located in the Maloti Mountains in Botha-Bothe County, and is part of the larger Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area. This North Lesotho park protects a stunning 5,600-hectare high-altitude rugged wilderness that includes one of the only indigenous forests in Lesotho with several rare underground plant species unique to this woodland habitat.

This North Lesotho park protects a stunning 5,600-hectare high-altitude rugged wilderness. Here indigenous "Ouhout" (Leucosidea) trees of considerable size are preserved. The park has an altitude ranging from 1940m to 3112m and is considered mostly alpine. The diversity of habitat types is exceptionally high and stems from the wide range that the park has.

On the banks of rivers and streams are berg bamboo ramparts of great cultural significance to the Basotho people. Berg bamboo is the host plant of an endangered butterfly species. The scientific name is Bamboo Sylph Metisella syrinx. The reserve also includes a fair proportion of very rare mountain "fynbos" that do not occur anywhere else in the World. Also recorded are more than 220 species of flowing plants.

Location: Maloti Mountains, Botha-Bothe District, Lesotho