Expansions benefit biodiversity in Western Cape
South Africa’s Western Cape’s conservation estate has grown by 47 000 hectares.
The Western Cape recently added more than 47 000 hectares to its conservation estate through the declaration of two new nature reserves and the expansion of two others.
This significant expansion in protected areas provides space for Cape Mountain Zebras to breed and improves the protection of many threatened succulent plants, mammals and bird species across the province.
The declarations have increased the size of two existing nature reserves namely Anysberg in the Karoo and the Knersvlakte in Namaqualand by a combined 41 000 hectares.
The two newly declared reserves are Waterkloof near Ladismith and Zebraskop in the Gamkaberg area of the Klein Karoo, which add a further 6 000 hectares to this number.
More space to breed
This significant expansion in protected areas provides space for Cape Mountain Zebras to breed and improves the protection of many threatened succulent plants, mammals and bird species across the province.
Together, these properties improve ecological integrity and enhance landscape connectivity.
Landscape connectivity is increasingly being appreciated in conservation efforts, creating vital corridors that allow wildlife to move more freely between protected areas.
The declarations also count towards South Africa’s ambition of conserving 30% of land and marine areas by 2030 a ambitious conservation goal set out by the United Nations.
All four declarations were made possible with land purchased by WWF South Africa using funds raised through the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust and other sources.
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Expansions benefit biodiversity in Western Cape
