Southern Africa has an incredible diversity of reptile fauna with a minimum of 517 species that have so far been described. These include 151 snakes, 338 lizards, 27 tortoises and one crocodile. Many more species are still awaiting description in the scientific literature and, sadly,
The marriage of conservation and human development has never been a happy one; historically the one has usually been accomplished at the expense of the other one. Conservation has excluded human development and has sometimes compromised it, while human development has often been achieved at
Habitat transformation in the Cape Floristic Kingdom (CFK) has been extreme since the time when Jan van Riebeeck landed in South Africa in 1652. As much as 31% of the CFK has already been completely transformed, with the major threats being agriculture, alien plants, afforestation
Lamberts Bay, along our west coast, is best known for Bird Island and the 10 000 strong population of breeding Cape Gannets. It attracts thousands of visitors each year who come to view and photograph these charismatic seabirds from the carefully designed viewing hide and
Without water, the human race would not exist and although much of our planet is covered with water, only 1% of it is usable to us, with 97% being salty and the remaining 2% being trapped in the ice caps. Despite this scarcity, we take
WWF South Africa, The Table Mountain Fund (TMF) and South African National Parks (SANParks) are pleased to announce the successful incorporation of the final Roodeberg property, ERF 16852, into the Table Mountain National Park. Launched in January 2014 the Restore the Roodeberg campaign set out to
The eland is the world’s largest antelope and gained its name from the Dutch word ‘eland’ which means ‘elk’. It is one of the most adaptable of the antelopes – equally at home in savannah, sub-desert, woodland and mountainous areas up to 4600m. In the
With incredible picturesque landscapes, vast fields of spring flowers and a high level of endemism, the West Coast National Park is a must see destination. As the only non-estuarine tidal lagoon in South Africa, Langebaan Lagoon forms the central core of this 27600-hectare National Park
Table Mountain’s dramatic tablecloth is almost as famous as the mountain itself. Pouring over the table top like a magnificent waterfall or slowly sneaking through her crevices, this cloud formation creates more than just a dramatic photographic opportunity for tourists, it creates life. The cloud
Managed by CapeNature, the little known De Mond Nature Reserve lies along the southern Cape coastline almost halfway between Arniston and Struisbaai. The Heuningness River that bisects the reserve widens here before entering the sea, forming a tranquil lagoon that is popular with fishermen and