Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has confirmed the declaration a new nature reserve.
It is the iNkonjane Nature Reserve, a 182-hectare protected area adjacent to iMpendle Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.
As reported by Tourism Update, the announcement was made by Musa Zondi, the province’s MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs earlier this month.
This new nature reserve represents strategic expansion of the provincial protected area network, supporting multiple threatened species.
It aims to serve as a critical foraging habitat for the endangered blue swallow, as the country has 30 remaining breeding pairs.
Endangered blue swallows (Picture: Supplied / Roger J Hogg)
iNkonjane Nature Reserve further supports the critically endangered Pennington’s protea butterfly, which is endemic to the greater Mkhomazi River valley.
Pennington’s Protea Butterfly (Picture: Dr Adrian Armstrong / Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife)
The species is dependent on the common sugarbush protea which serves as its sole host plant.
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Within the reserve, sections of southern KZN’s moist grassland and eastern mist belt forest will also be protected. These are ecosystems that continue to face pressure from development.
iNkonjane Nature Reserve was established through a biodiversity offset agreement between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and uMngeni-uThukela Water.
This follows the construction of a wastewater pipeline through Midmar Nature Reserve. As part of the agreement, new land has been secured by Ezemvelo to mitigate residual environmental impacts.
As reported by IOL, the reserve will be managed jointly with iMpendle Nature Reserve. In the absence of internal fencing, wildlife will move freely, enabling integrated habitat management.
The protected area is yet to be officially open to the public, although visitors can access neighbouring iMpendle Nature Reserve.
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