Silverglen Nature Reserve | |
---|---|
Map of KwaZulu-Natal | |
Location | Chatsworth, South Africa |
Coordinates | 29°55′54″S30°53′32″E / 29.9316013°S 30.8923483°E Coordinates: 29°55′54″S30°53′32″E / 29.9316013°S 30.8923483°E |
Area | 460 ha (1,100 acres) |
Governing body | eThekwini Municipality |
Silverglen Nature Reserve is a 460 hectare conservancy on the Umlaas River located aside the suburb of Silverglen, Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. [1] The reserve is the largest piece of coastal grassland and bush clump mosaic in Greater Durban, and is home to the first medicinal plant nursery in Africa, established in 1986. [2] [3]
Silverglen Nature Reserve has the highest number of tree and bird species of any of the nature reserves in Durban. [4] Over 280 grassland plant species, and over 35 grass species are naturally occurring in the reserve. [2] Of the 120 tree species in the reserve, notable specimens include the forest milkberry, red beech, forest bushwillow and the silver oak. The reserve attracts a number of bird species, including the Narina trogon, green malkoha, and Burchell's coucal. [2] [4]
The nature reserve was closed to the public during the 1990s due to violent crime, but was reopened in 2017. [4] [5] In 2018, residents from the nearby Umlazi township began illegally demarcating land in the reserve for settlement in what has been named a land invasion. [6] [7] The eThekwini Municipality has since erected a fence around the reserve to prevent further attempts at land grabs, [8] and following the discovery of a body in the reserve, an entrance was shut down by authorities. [5] In March 2021 two municipal game rangers on patrol were killed by unknown gunmen. [9] [10] [11]
Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926.
Durban, nicknamed Durbs, is the third most populous city in South Africa after Johannesburg and Cape Town and the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Durban forms part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, which includes neighboring towns and has a population of about 3.44 million, making the combined municipality one of the largest cities on the Indian Ocean coast of the African continent. Durban was one of the host cities of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Amanzimtoti is a coastal town just south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The town is well known for its warm climate and numerous beaches, and is a popular tourist destination, particularly with surfers. The annual sardine run attracts many to the Toti beaches.
Local government in South Africa consists of municipalities of various types. The largest metropolitan areas are governed by metropolitan municipalities, while the rest of the country is divided into district municipalities, each of which consists of several local municipalities. Since the boundary reform at the time of the municipal election of 3 August 2016 there are eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.
Chatsworth is a large township created by the apartheid government in the 1950s to segregate the Indian population and create a buffer between the white suburbs to the north and the black townships to the south. Located in the South Durban basin and roughly bordered by the Umhlatuzana River in the North and Umlaas River in the south, the suburb is made up mainly of Indian and Black people.
AmaZulu Football Club is a South African professional football club based in Umlazi in the city of Durban in the KwaZulu Natal province, that plays in the Premier Soccer League the first-tier of South African football league system. The club's nickname, Usuthu, is a Zulu war cry.
Crime in South Africa includes all violent and non-violent crimes that take place in the country of South Africa, or otherwise within its jurisdiction. Crime levels have been attributed to poverty, problems with delivery of public services, and wealth disparity. Statistics suggest that crime affects primarily the poorest of South Africans. The Institute for Security Studies also highlighted factors beyond poverty and inequality, particularly social stress from uncaring environments in early childhood and subsequent lack of guardianship. South Africa's high crime rates, recidivism and overburdened criminal justice system have been described as a crisis which will require a radical rethink of crime and punishment in young people.
Durban North is an area to the north of Durban in the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Durban North lies between the N2 freeway and the eastern seashore, with the Umgeni River forming its southern boundary. It has residential suburbs that are some of Durban's most affluent and is flanked by La Lucia in the north.
Skukuza, located 57 km east of Hazyview at the confluence of the N'waswitshaka and Sabie Rivers in Mpumalanga, is the administrative headquarters and the "Capital city" of the Kruger National Park, South Africa. It is also the largest rest camp of the park. It is South Africa's number one game viewing destination and is the most popular game reserve in the country. It is popular with domestic and foreign tourists alike, as the big five game are in relative abundance when compared to other game reserves in the country. A tourist in Skukuza may not have to go out looking for Africa's big five, as these animals could potentially be observed from the deck of the Cattle Baron restaurant. Lions, leopards and cheetahs regularly kill their prey on the green lawns of Skukuza's golf course or cricket club. The game reserve is situated in a medium rainfall area, on the well-wooded banks of the Sabie and N'waswitshaka rivers of Mpumalanga Province.
Burman Bush is a nature reserve in Morningside, Durban, situated some 8 km north of the CBD. At about 50 hectares it constitutes a small circular enclave of coastal forest which forms part of the Durban Municipal Open Space System (D'MOSS). It is the northern remnant of a forest that once covered much of the Berea ridge. The reserve's elevation varies from 19 to 133 m a.s.l.
Shallcross is a suburb of Durban, South Africa.
Empisini Nature Reserve was established in 1973 and is situated in Umkomaas, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The reserve is approximately 60 ha in extent and is owned by the borough of uMkhomanzi which has been incorporated into the eThekwini municipality. Empisini is managed jointly by eThekwini and the Umkomaas centre of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa. Empisini takes its name from a perennial stream which flows through it, and means "Place of the Hyena" in isiZulu. The reserve consists of coastal forest, wetlands, grassy slopes and a dam. Infrastructure consists of hiking trails, demarcated picnic sites, overnight cabins, and a tree house.
The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, conserves 668 ha of the Molweni and Nkutu River gorges that incise the sandstone Kloof plateau in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The reserve conserves coastal scarp forest, sourveld grassland, a cliff face biotope, and aquatic environments along its rivers. Scarp forest is a threatened forest type, protected by South Africa's forests act of 1998, while the grassland is classified as KwaZulu-Natal sandstone sourveld, the most threatened terrestrial habitat in the Durban metropole. The reserve was established in 1950 and was augmented by land donations as late as 1999.
Virginia Bush Nature Reserve is a 38 hectare coastal bush reserve in the suburb of Durban North, Durban, South Africa. The reserve is currently under the auspices of the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System (D'MOSS).
Yellowwood Park is a suburb of the city of Durban, South Africa, established in 1960. It is 14 km southwest of central Durban.
The Clive Cheesman Nature Reserve is a protected area of riverine forest and grassland in the suburb of Kloof, Durban, South Africa.
Kesaveloo Goonam, also known as Kesaveloo Goonaruthnum Naidoo (1906–1998) was a South African doctor and anti-apartheid activist. She was also called "Coolie Doctor", which became the title of her 1991 autobiography.
Roosfontein Nature Reserve is a protected nature area in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Threatened protected species such as the Dwarf Chameleon and Tephrosia inandensis are found in the reserve, which is an example of North Coast Grassland.
During the 2019 Easter weekend, the coastal city of Durban, South Africa, experienced severe flooding, caused by torrential rain brought on by a steep upper air trough, which deepened into low pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere, and impacted the city and its surrounding areas starting 18 April 2019. The floods has resulted in at least 70 deaths caused by collapsed buildings, mudslides and sinkholes. It is one of the deadliest disasters to hit the country in the 2010s decade.
Giba Gorge Nature Reserve is an environmental precinct in Outer West Durban, South Africa. The gorge is a natural valley carved by the Giba River, with steep rocky cliffs and natural grassland slopes. Within the precinct is a mountain bike park with a 35km single track.