Rietvlei Nature Reserve

Rietvlei Nature Reserve, located in southern Pretoria, is about 4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1] in size, and includes the entirety of the Rietvlei Dam which impounds the Rietvlei River, in Gauteng, South Africa. The reserve is wedged between the R21 highway (OR Tambo Airport highway) on the western side and the R50 (Delmas-Bapsfontein) road on the north-east. The mean elevation above sea level is approximately 1,525 meters, with the highest point at 1,542 m and the lowest at 1,473 m, the dam’s outflow in Sesmylspruit. The reserve covers a surface area of approximately 4,003 ha or 40 km2, of which the dam constitutes some 20ha. A network of roads criss-cross the entire area, which facilitates access to visitors and management.

This article is about the nature reserve in Pretoria, Gauteng. For the wetland reserve in Milnerton, Cape Town, see Rietvlei Wetland Reserve.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve
View of the Rietvlei Dam from the picnic area
TypeNature reserve
LocationSouth Africa
Nearest cityPretoria, Gauteng
Coordinates25°53′49″S 28°17′38″E
Area4,000 hectares (40 km2)[1]
Established
  • 1929 (1929) - as a conservation area
  • 1948 (1948) - proclaimed[2]
  • 5 March 2014 (2014-03-05) - Declaration of a Nature Reserve[3][4]
Administered byCity of Tshwane
Hiking trailsTwo
  • One 14 km day trail
  • One 21 km trail over three days
WebsiteRietvlei Nature Reserve - City of Tshwane

Flora and fauna

Trees

Both indigenous and exotic species of trees can be found in the reserve.

List of trees in the reserve[5]
Indigenous
Exotic

Birds

Some 404 species of bird utilize the reserve.[5] Birds commonly encountered include colonies of southern masked-weaver, the invasive common myna and conspicuous pied crow, buffy pipit, blacksmith and crowned lapwing on short or burnt grassland, and Cape longclaw and rufous-naped lark in denser grassland or shrubby areas. Amur falcon and barn swallow occur annually in summer. Black-shouldered kite, spotted thick-knee, cattle egret, helmeted guineafowl, Swainson's spurfowl, African palm-swift, southern red bishop, anteating chat, stone chat, capped wheatear, fork-tailed drongo and pied starling are resident or regularly seen species. Some special or less commonly seen species are Alpine swift in winter, African yellow warbler in shrubs along the flood plain, great crested grebe and maccoa duck at the dams, African cuckoo hawk, Peregrine falcon, red-throated wryneck and orange-breasted waxbill.[6]

Mammals

The reserve carries around 1,600 individual large mammals. Cheetah, blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, common zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbok, grey duiker, oribi, leopard, buffalo, and hippopotamus can all be found in the reserve.[2][7] There are also 4 lionesses and 2 male lions kept in a separate enclosure on the reserve. In October 2019, the Rietvlei lions were killed by poachers and since then, no lions have been kept at the reserve.

List of mammals in the reserve[5]

Threats to the reserve

The reserve is situated in Gauteng, one of the highest population density areas in South Africa. As such it is constantly under threat by human expansion and development.

See also

References
  1. "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: Historic Background". City of Tshwane. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2008.
  2. Marais, Riaan (November 2004). "A Plant Ecological Study of the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng Province" (PDF). City of Tshwane. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2006. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  3. "Gazetted Name: Rietvlei Nature Reserve" (PDF).
  4. "Protected Areas Register".
  5. Rietvlei Nature Reserve (Booklet issued to visitors at the reserve). City of Tshwane.
  6. Chadwick, Peter. "Gauteng Birding - Rietvlei Nature Reserve". photodestination.co.za. African Conservation. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. "Rietvlei Nature Reserve: General Information". City of Tshwane. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  8. "Rietvlei Dam under threat from planned site". Independent Online (South Africa). 26 September 2006. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  9. van Eeden, Pieter H. (2004). "Comments on beak deformities at Rietvlei Dam Nature Reserve" (PDF). Afring News. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 February 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  10. "Rietvlei rehabilitation project aids in water purification". South African National Biodiversity Institute. September 2008. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2008.

Media related to Rietvlei Nature Reserve at Wikimedia Commons

  1. "Login". www.friendsofrietvlei.org. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  2. "Home". www.rietvleiguide. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
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