National Parks of Lesotho

Lesotho's only national park, Sehlabathebe, embraces 6500 hectares in the south-eastern corner of this mountain kingdom. The park, which is under the auspices of the National Park Section of the Department of Conservation and Forestry, was proclaimed in 1981. Its rolling green hills rise up to basalt peaks which top 3000m.

Small numbers of eland, oribi, baboon, Black-backed jackal, wild cat and otter roam the grasslands. It's also an excellent place to see the rare Bearded vulture, or lammergeier, and the Wattled crane. Its most famous resident is, however, the small minnow-like fish, Oreodaimon quathlambae, a species which was thought to be extinct until it was found in the chilly waters of the Tsoelinkana River.

I made the journey to the park a few years ago via a twisting mountain road. It was in terrible condition and the remains of many old cars, which did not make the distance, were littered on both sides of the road. Next time I'll certainly consider the second option, which is to ride in by pony from Bushman's Nek in South Africa.

Sehlabathebe Lodge, which is the only accommodation in the park, is a large self-catering house with beds for up to 12 people and a team of staff who light fires, polish floors and ensure the place is kept in shape.

Glancing through the visitors' book, I noticed that many of the previous guests had complained about blisters, cold weather and clouds. This is a hiker's paradise and, when the weather does clear, there are long mountain walks, guided trails, horse riding and swimming in waterfalls to be had.

There are proposals to make changes to promote Sehlabathebe, but the management plan, drawn up in 1991, has not been put into practice due to lack of funds and personnel.

However, changes are afoot in Lesotho. There is a realisation in government circles and among interested groups that the park - and conservation as a whole - has not been successfully managed in the past. Moves are being made to identify problems and, with the support of the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to put things right.