__NOTOC__ The Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, conserves 668 ha Note: This source records the surface area as 535 ha in 1989. of the Molweni ( Zulu: 'mutual greetings') and Nkutu River gorges that incise the sandstone Kloof plateau in

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. The reserve conserves coastal scarp forest, sourveld

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

, a

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

face

biotope A biotope is an area of uniform environmental conditions providing a living place for a specific assemblage of flora (plants), plants and fauna (animals), animals. ''Biotope'' is almost synonymous with the term habitat (ecology), "habitat", which ...

, 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 Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

metropole. The reserve was established in 1950 and was augmented by land donations as late as 1999.

Setting

The reserve is situated at 140 to 520 m.a.s.l, and borders on suburbs, informal settlements, and in some of the catchment areas, on privately owned conservancies. The Kloof conservancy manages the Ronald's Kloof stream project, which effectively adds 5 ha to the reserve. The Springside and Iphithi Nature Reserves, in addition to the Everton conservancy and Overock community reserve, conserve natural remnants of the Nkutu, Molweni and Iphithi rivers' upper catchment. The forested Molweni gorge divides the residential suburbs of

Kloof Kloof is a town that includes a smaller area called Everton, located approximately 26 km north-west of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Once an independent municipality, it now forms part of greater Durban area of the eThekwini M ...

and Forest Hills, and is intersected by Kloof Falls Road. This road provides access to the main Kloof Falls picnic site, from where walking trails diverge in both the upstream and downstream directions. The Molweni and Nkutu rivers converge to join 1 km outside the reserve, and some 2 km from the Umgeni. The reserve and conservancies are included in

's open space system, D’MOSS. The reserve is situated on Natal group sandstone of the

Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...

Ordovician The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...

periods, some 490 million years old, and artifacts recovered from its rock shelters indicate that it was once inhabited by early

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

people.

Wildlife

Some 25 amphibian, 255 bird, 50 mammal, 36 reptile, 150 butterfly and 274 tree species have been recorded in the Gorge or its vicinity. The natural vegetation is under pressure from numerous invasive species, while some tree species are vulnerable to

muti is a traditional medicine practice in Southern Africa as far north as Lake Tanganyika. Name In South African English, the word is derived from the Zulu/Xhosa/ Northern Ndebele , meaning 'tree', whose root is . In Southern Africa, and othe ...

-collecting practices in the greater Durban area.

Mammals

Blue duiker The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest species of duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspe ...

and

bushbuck Bushbuck is a common name that may refer to one of the following African antelopes: *Cape bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus''), also known as imbabala is a common, medium-sized bushland-dwelling, and a widespread species of ant ...

were released into the reserve in 1970 and 1971. Red duiker, then regionally extinct, was also introduced but did not persist, while the introduced

baboons Baboons are primates comprising the genus ''Papio'', one of the 23 genera of Old World monkeys, in the family Cercopithecidae. There are six species of baboon: the hamadryas baboon, the Guinea baboon, the olive baboon, the yellow baboon ...

had to be eradicated after causing a nuisance to nearby residents.

Common duiker The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the gray duiker or bush duiker, is a small antelope and the only member of the genus ''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of ...

Affirmed by camera trap, 2013, University of KwaZulu-Natal occurs and the last

brown greater galago The brown greater galago (''Otolemur crassicaudatus''), also known as the large-eared greater galago or thick-tailed galago, is a nocturnal primate, the largest in the family of galagos. As opposed to smaller galago species it would climb, walk o ...

s of the Durban metropole are resident. Small carnivores include

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

slender Slender may refer to: Term * Gracility or slenderness Literature * Abraham Slender, a character in William Shakespeare's ''The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merry Wives of Winsor'' Slender Man *Slender Man, a fictional supernatural character * ...

, white-tailed,

Egyptian ''Egyptian'' describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of year ...

and

banded mongoose The banded mongoose (''Mungos mungo'') is a mongoose species native from the Sahel to Southern Africa. It lives in savannas, open forests and grasslands and feeds primarily on beetles and millipedes. Mongooses use various types of dens for shelt ...

Cape genet The Cape genet (''Genetta tigrina''), also known as the South African large-spotted genet, is a Genetta, genet species endemic to South Africa. As it is common and not threatened, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Like other gene ...

caracal The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...

Affirmed by camera trap: and

water monitor The Asian water monitor (''Varanus salvator'') is a large varanid lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. It is widely considered to be the second-largest lizard species, after the Komodo dragon. It is distributed from eastern and northeaste ...

. Its rocky grassland areas offer protection to the

Natal red rock hare The Natal red rock hare or greater red rock hare (''Pronolagus crassicaudatus'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae (rabbits and hares). It has a slightly grizzled, grayish brown head and reddish brown upperparts. The dense fur ...

, a species with declining numbers.

Birds

Some 255 bird species have been recorded in the reserve. The three pairs of

crowned eagle The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas.Sinclair & Ryan ...

s that nest in the reserve prey on dassies,

monkeys Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes. Thus monkeys, in that sense, co ...

and

hadeda ibis The hadada ibis (''Bostrychia hagedash'') or hadeda () is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost ...

Wahlberg's eagle Wahlberg's eagle (''Hieraaetus wahlbergi'') is a bird of prey that is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is a seasonal migrant in the woodlands and savannas. It is named after the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg. Like all eagles, it ...

, lanner and

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

s all nest in the lower gorge. Secretive birds like broadbill,

grey cuckooshrike The grey cuckooshrike (''Ceblepyris caesius'') is a species of bird in the cuckooshrike family Campephagidae. It is a medium-sized forest bird, with grey to blue-grey plumage and large black eyes. There are two subspecies that occur in forest p ...

Narina trogon __NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and cat ...

, emerald cuckoo and wood-owl all occur, but are more likely to be heard than seen. Winter migrants include

chorister robin-chat The chorister robin-chat (''Cossypha dichroa'') (previously known as the chorister robin) is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is found in South Africa and Eswatini. Its distribution stretches from the southern ...

white-starred robin The white-starred robin (''Pogonocichla stellata'') is a species of bird in the Old World flycatcher and chat family Muscicapidae. It is also sometimes more simply called the starred robin. It is monotypic within the genus ''Pogonocichla''. There ...

yellow-throated warbler The yellow-throated warbler (''Setophaga dominica'') is a small bird migration, migratory songbird species in the New World warbler family (biology), family (Parulidae) found in temperate North America. Description In summer, male yellow-throa ...

and the rare

spotted ground-thrush The spotted ground thrush (''Geokichla guttata'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and possibly Mozambique. Description These birds ar ...

Trumpeter The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

and crowned hornbills are numerous and conspicuous.

Knysna turaco The Knysna turaco (''Tauraco corythaix''), or, in South Africa, Knysna loerie, is a large turaco, one of a group of African musophagidae birds. It is a resident breeder in the mature evergreen forests of southern and eastern South Africa, and Esw ...

(subsp. ''corythaix'') is not found elsewhere in the Durban metropole, and occurs alongside the more numerous

purple-crested turaco The purple-crested turaco (''Gallirex porphyreolophus'') or, in South Africa, the purple-crested loerie, (Khurukhuru in the Luvenḓa (Venḓa) language is a species of bird in the clade Turaco with an unresolved phylogenetic placement. Initial a ...

. Late summer seed of broad-leaved setaria attract

green twinspot The green-backed twinspot or green twinspot (''Mandingoa nitidula'') is an estrildid finch found in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern. Subspecies The green-backed twinspot has four su ...

, grey waxbill,

swee waxbill The swee waxbill (''Coccopygia melanotis''), is a common species of estrildid finch native to Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations g ...

and red-backed mannikin. Plain-backed pipit is regularly present after grassland burns, while

bat hawk The bat hawk (''Macheiramphus alcinus'') is a raptor found in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia to New Guinea. It is named for its diet, which consists mainly of bats. It requires open space in which to hunt, but will live anywhere from dense ra ...

has been noted at dusk.South African Birdnet, 2006-2009, D.A. Bishop, C. Mitchell

Invertebrates

The endangered ruby-footed black millipede, '' Doratogonus rubipodus'', first collected in 1996, is only known from Krantzkloof and the nearby Giba gorge.

Plants

Yellow-footed polypore on the red trail The reserve is home to a high diversity of plants including various rare species. These include cycads of the ''

Encephalartos ''Encephalartos'' is a genus of cycad native to Africa. Several species of ''Encephalartos'' are commonly referred to as bread trees, bread palms or kaffir bread, since a bread-like starchy food can be prepared from the centre of the stem. The ge ...

'' and ''

Stangeria ''Stangeria eriopus'' is a cycad endemic to southern Africa. It is the sole species in the genus ''Stangeria'', most closely related to the Australian genus ''Bowenia'', with which it forms the family Stangeriaceae. Description ''Stangeria eriop ...

'' genera. The '' E. natalensis'' cycads of Krantzkloof represent one of several distinguishable varieties. A few specimens of the very rare Natal sandstone quince, '' Dahlgrenodendron natalense'', are present. A relict population of '' Brachystelma natalense'' is conserved here, besides the only South African population of the red sunbird bush, '' Metarungia pubinervia''. The vulnerable aquatic plant '' Hydrostachys polymorpha'' is found on one of the Molweni's waterfalls, while the Bootlace lily, '' Drimia flagellaris'', discovered in 2005, is endemic to the reserve's cliff faces. The distinctive subspecies ''floribunda'' of '' Crassula multicava'' is endemic to scarp forest and gorge bottoms of this area. It is home to several species of African violet of the genus ''

Streptocarpus ''Streptocarpus'' ("twisted fruit" from Greek στρεπτός (''streptos'') "twisted" and καρπός (''karpos'') "fruit") is an Afrotropics, Afrotropical genus of flowering plants in the family Gesneriaceae. The genus is native to Afromont ...

'', and includes the core range of the nominate subspecies of '' S. molweniensis'', a vulnerable and declining species only described in 1996.A guide to Streptocarpus molweniensis and other African Violets of the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, Krantzkloof conservancy newsletter, c.2013, D. Styles Besides the latter, '' S. haygarthii'', '' S. grandis'', '' S. prolixus'' and the nominate subspecies of '' S. polyanthus'' are also to be found.

Facilities and access

The reserve does not offer any accommodation or camping, but the Kranztkloof Conference Centre alongside Kloof Falls road is available for hire for meetings, conferences or social events of up to 70 people. The Kloof Falls picnic site is open daily from sunrise to sunset at a fee of R60 per person, or R30 per child under 12 years (Nov 2023). Rhino card holders have free access, but SanParks Wild Cards are expressly not accepted. The Valley Drive picnic site is currently closed (Jan 2024) and is expected to open on weekends later in the year. Pets are not allowed in the reserve. Trail running events, organised by the Krantzkloof Honorary Officers, benefit the projects of the Reserve's honorary officers. Selected areas of the gorge are accessible to rock climbers only, with the requirement that they sign a climbing register and pay the entrance fee when entering and leaving.

Walking trails

A small cascade in the nKonka River, a tributary of the Molweni which is intersected by the white trail Exploration of the reserve is facilitated by numerous walking trails, more than 20 km in aggregate. They are designated as the red (Nkutu Falls, 1.25 hrs), yellow (Molweni, 4.5 hrs), green (Ntombeni, 1 hr), blue (Longshadows, 1.5 hrs), orange (Beacon, 1 hr), black (Mpiti, 45 min) and white (2 hrs) trails. A digital trail map can be downloaded from their website.. The Nkutu Falls trail allows a hiker to reach the base of the Nkutu Falls and return to the Nkutu picnic site in 30 minutes. The strenuous Molweni trail descends some 350 meters to the bottom of the gorge, and allows a visitor to reach the bottom of the 90m high Kloof Falls before retracing. The Ntombeni trail passes through level grassland to arrive at a site called "The Crack" that allows vistas of the lower gorge. The Longshadows trail follows the Molweni river upstream in cool, level forest. The Beacon trail diverges from the Molweni trail to take the hiker along level grassland above the cliff faces. The white trail winds up a steep slope, crosses Bridle Road to re-enter the reserve, and traces the escarpment edge before descending to the waterfall in the nKonka river. Though incidents are rare, visitors have been advised that remote trails are unsafe due to uneven terrain, former crime incidents, or the possibility of getting lost. Guided walks are conducted on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month.

Site locations

*Bridle Road view site - closed for management reasons *Kloof Falls (Main) picnic site *mPhiti waterfall *nKonka waterfall *Nkutu (Valley Drive) picnic site - closed until further notice (Jan 2024) *Rumdoodle crevasse (climbing site) *Uve Road parking area - closed for management reasons

References

{{Nature Reserves in eThekwini Protected areas of KwaZulu-Natal