If you’ve been into the Cape Point reserve before, you may have noticed an enticing right turn a little way down the hill before you reach the point. Take it. This is the way to Olifantsbos, one of Cape Point’s best-kept secrets. At the end of
Biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Kingdom (CFK) is worth vast amounts to the South African economy. The wild flower industry alone is worth R150 million per annum – 80% of this as foreign exchange. The Cape deciduous fruit industry, that is worth R1 billion per
It’s a magical feeling to sit on the verandah of your hiker’s hut at sunset – a view that stretches for miles – watching the stream of day visitors weaving their way out of the park and knowing that you are staying firmly put; only
The Cape Floristic Kingdom, with its unique floral and habitat diversity, is one of South Africa’s most picturesque and most popular birding areas. Although the Fynbos does not have the large variation of bird species that the bushveld does, several endemic and highly sought after
When Vasco Da Gama first rounded the Cape a few hundred years ago, African Penguins numbered in their millions. Today, the global population stands at around 30 000 pairs and with the population of this iconic seabird falling at 20% per annum (equating to a
The global population of Cape Gannets has decreased by over 20% in just three generations! This is largely as a result of overfishing in the small pelagic fisheries off the South African and Namibian coastlines. Other threats to the species include oil pollution, climate change
Photo Credit: Peter Chadwick To celebrate Reptile Awareness Day we look at one of the most misunderstood animals on the planet, a reptile that strikes fear into the hearts of most mortals. Sharing a top spot with spiders, there are few things, if any, that terrify
Even more productive than both the rivers and the oceans that influence them, estuaries are some of our most important coastal ecological features. They are a transition zone where fish, animals and birds congregate to feed, find refuge and grow to adulthood. They are unique
Dassies (Procavia capensis) are a common sight when hiking in the Table Mountain National Park. More closely related to elephants than the guinea pigs that they superficially resemble, dassies are one of four living species in the order Hyracoidea, and the only living species in
Last week, while driving through the Swartland’s lush wheat fields, I was met with a spectacular sight, at least 20 Blue Cranes were wandering through the green fields. It was enough to cause a minor traffic jam as day tourists pulled over to photograph our