Burman Bush is a
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
in
Morningside,
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 ...
, situated some 8 km north of the CBD. At about 50 hectares
it constitutes a small circular enclave of
coastal forest which forms part of the Durban Municipal Open Space System (D'MOSS). It is the northern remnant of a forest that once covered much of the
Berea ridge.
The reserve's elevation varies from 19 to 133
m a.s.l.
Trails
It contains three
walking trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. How ...
s, the
Pithi (500 m),
Hadedah (1 km) and
Forest olive (2 km) walks,
[ that wind through the forest and allow visitors to see the various flora and fauna. A viewing platform at the outer walk's northern extremity allows sweeping views of the ]Umgeni River
The Umgeni River or Mgeni River () is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It rises in the "Dargle" in the KZN Midlands, and its mouth is at Durban, some distance north of Durban's natural harbour. It is generally agreed its name means "the ...
, from Connaught bridge to the Blue lagoon.[
]
Fauna and flora
Reclusive species constitute much of the fauna. The reserve has Durban's largest population of 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 ...
, besides grey duiker, banded and slender mongoose
The common slender mongoose (''Herpestes sanguineus''), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Taxonomy
The scientific name ''Herpestes sanguineus'' ...
, porcupines
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...
and troops of vervet monkey
The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus '' Chlorocebus''. The five distin ...
s.[ Its birdlife, most evident during the early hours, may be best viewed from the central private road.]green wood hoopoe
The green wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus purpureus'') is a large, up to long tropical bird native to Africa. It is a member of the family Phoeniculidae, the wood hoopoes, and was formerly known as the red-billed wood hoopoe.
Taxonomy
In 1784 the En ...
s, fork-tailed and common square-tailed drongos, 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 ...
es (in winter), red-capped robin-chat
The red-capped robin-chat or Natal robin (''Cossypha natalensis'') is a species of passerine bird belonging to the Family (biology), family Muscicapidae. This species is found in central and eastern Sub-Saharan Africa.
Taxonomy
The red-capped ro ...
s, yellow-bellied greenbul
The yellow-bellied greenbul (''Chlorocichla flaviventris'') is a species of songbird in the bulbul family, Pycnonotidae. It is found in eastern, southern and west-central Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, sub ...
s, yellow-breasted apalises, ashy and paradise flycatcher
The paradise flycatchers (''Terpsiphone'') are a genus of birds in the family Monarchidae. The genus Range (biology), ranges across Africa and Asia, as well as a number of islands. A few species are bird migration, migratory, but the majority are ...
s, grey sunbirds and southern tchagras.[ Among the forest trees that populate the reserve are the flat-crown, forest fever-berry, forest olive and red beech.]
Safety
Muggings were reported c.2013 and in 2018, and the ward councilor highlighted the need for repair of breaches in the reserve's fencing. Inspections of the reserve's fencing has started as of mid August 2018 by staff at the reserve as well as the ward councilor himself. Members of the South African Police Services including the local K9 unit have been given access keys to make random patrols on the roads in the reserve and have made an arrest in August 2018 as a result of increased Police activity in the area.South African Police Service
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the Provinces of South Africa, provincial borders, and a Provincial Commis ...
was allegedly delayed.
This latest incident, which occurred a day after two walkers were robbed at gunpoint in the reserve, has led to calls by the ward councilor and local civic groups for the reserve to be temporarily closed.
Gallery
Image:Chlorocebus pygerythrus, Burmanbos Natuurreservaat.jpg,
Image:Oncopeltus sp, Burmanbos.jpg,
Image:Deinbollia oblongifolia, loof en vrugte, b, Burmanbos.jpg,
Image:Maerua racemulosa, b, Burmanbos.jpg,
References
External links
Website providing an overview of Durban
{{Coord, 29, 49, 03, S, 31, 01, 01, E, display=title
Nature reserves in South Africa
Durban
Tourist attractions in Durban
Protected areas of KwaZulu-Natal