A new nature reserve has been declared in the Drakensberg.
The new Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve will cover an area of 6 500 hectares and will act as a link between the uKhahlamba Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal and the Sterkfontein Nature Reserve in the Free State.
It will preserve grasslands, water sources, as well as rock art.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) the new reserve is made up of a number of privately owned properties and will be managed by a landowners’ association.
The WWF quoted the chair of the Northern Drakensberg Landowners’ Association, Shaun Vorster, as saying: ‘It’s a huge relief to see this process come to fruition. We first started this conversation with other landowners in 2018. Initially we envisioned protecting 12 000 hectares all the way from the Free State border to the Tugela River. But the 6 500 hectares that we have secured are critical as they are made up of beautiful grasslands and, of course, there’s the water that flows from these properties into the Tugela River. Aside from all the endangered species, the grasslands and water are the cornerstones of this reserve. The news is still sinking in, but we are already seeing the benefits of having embarked on this process.’
[Photo: WWF]