It consists of 960 km² (96,000 ha) of hilly topography 280 kilometres (170 mi) north of Durban in central KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is known for its rich wildlife and conservation efforts.

[6] The southern white rhino, first identified by Western naturalist William John Burchell in 1812, was virtually eliminated during the 19th century by European hunters, and by 1895 was believed to be extinct.

[10] This area is to the south of the park and is generally hot in summer, and mild to cool in winter, although cold spells do occur.

The high ridges support coastal scarp forests in a well-watered region with valley bushveld at lower levels.

It is home to 86 species[12] including: Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, south African cheetah, spotted hyena, blue wildebeest, jackal, South African giraffe, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, nyala, common eland, greater kudu, impala, duiker, suni, reedbuck, common warthog, bushpig, mongoose, baboon, monkeys, a variety of tortoises, terrapins, snakes and lizards.

[2] Birdlife include black-crowned night heron,Wahlberg's eagle, Shelley's francolin, black-bellied bustard, Temminck's courser, Klaas's cuckoo, little bee-eater and crested barbet.

[12] The park is the birthplace of rhino preservation, having been responsible for breeding the southern white rhinoceros back from near extinction in the first half of the 20th century.

[4] Hluhluwe–Imfolozi has implemented Smart Park which facilitates the integration of systems, including drone technology, for early detection and rapid response of reaction units.

[5] In 2023, the reserve was the worst hit in South Africa; The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, said "We have to be concerned that almost every single day this year a rhino has been killed in Hluhluwe Imfolozi.