The park was proclaimed to protect the last remaining free ranging elephants in South Africa.

Although the elephants moved seasonally between Tembe and Mozambique, such was the harassment in that country that they took refuge in the dense sand forest. The elephant herds are now increasing.

An arrangement between the Kwazulu-Natal Department of Conservation and the local tribal authority allows the local people access to the park for the purposes of collecting reeds for thatching and a portion of the revenues from the park go to them. The topography is mainly sand forest, grassland and swamp.

This park is shortly to made contiguous with the Maputo Elephant Reserve in Mozambique. Only four wheel drive vehicles are allowed because of the sandy nature of the roads. Leopard and rhino also occur in the reserve.

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