Western Cape's conservation estate grows by 47 000ha

The Western Cape has added some 47 000ha to its conservation estate through the declaration of two new nature reserves and the expansion of two others.

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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 – Anysberg in the Karoo and the Knersvlakte in Namaqualand – by a combined 41 000ha.

The two newly declared reserves are Waterkloof near Ladismith and Zebraskop in the Gamkaberg area of the Klein Karoo, which add a further 6 000ha to this number.

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.

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 – the very ambitious conservation goal set out by the United Nations.

"This is a significant step for protected area expansion in the Western Cape. By expanding and connecting protected areas, together we are conserving some of the world's most threatened plants and animals and supporting the long-term survival of the Cape mountain zebra," said Dr Ashley Naidoo, CEO of CapeNature.

"This work would not be possible without our partners, particularly WWF South Africa and the Leslie Hill Succulent Karoo Trust, whose support makes this scale of impact possible," he added.