Crook's Corner (Kruger NP)

 place with historical importance, border, birdwatching area, nature conservation park / area, interesting place

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-National Park
Boundary of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe

In the 1900s this area was a safe-haven for gun runners, poachers, fugitives and anyone else dodging the law. It was an easy hop across the river whenever police from one particular country approached. There is a large plaque here commemorating the legendary ivory hunter Cecil Barnard (Bvekenya), who hid on an island in the middle of the Limpopo to avoid being tracked down by pursuing rangers and police in the 1920s. Ironically, Barnard later became a ranger himself. A police station was later built here.

The road to Crook's Corner passes under majestic fig trees, jackalberries and a forest of fever trees. This is the spot where the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers and three countries, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique, meet.

The region is considered one of Kruger's biodiversity hotspots, with some of the largest herds of elephant and buffalo, leopard and lion and incredibly prolific birdlife. In May 2007 the biological significance of the area was recognised in its declaration as a Ramsar site - a wetland of international importance.

Many bird and animal species that are sometimes really difficult to spot elsewhere occur here. Keep a look out for kudu and nyala, baboons and monkeys - including the samango monkey. Hippo and crocodile can be seen in large numbers. In the summer, the area is full of rarely seen bird species, such as broad-billed and racket-tailed rollers, icterine and river warbler, and thrush nightingale.