Mpofu Nature Reserve 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 the Amatole district of the

Eastern Cape Province The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

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 ...

that is managed by

Eastern Cape Parks Eastern Cape Parks are the national parks, marine protected areas, nature reserves and other nature conservation areas in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) is the governmental organisation resp ...

. Mpofu is situated roughly 25 km (16 miles) northwest of Fort Beaufort and 20 km (12 miles) west of Balfour. It lies on the escarpment and lower valleys of the

Katberg Katberg is a hamlet high up in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Amathole District Municipality, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost co ...

Mountains and covers 7,500 ha (19,000 acres) with altitudes varying from 550 to 1,384 metres (1,804 to 4,541 ft). The reserve was established in 1985 from land purchased from families who were descended from the

1820 settlers The 1820 Settlers were several groups of British colonists from England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, settled by the government of the United Kingdom and the Cape Colony authorities in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 1820. Origins After th ...

Geography and Climate

Mpofu occupies the valleys and escarpments between the

and Amatole mountain ranges. Some areas of the reserve are on steep terrain as a result. The reserve experiences its rainy season between November and March and summers are hot and humid. Autumn and winter are mainly dry and cool, and snowfalls occasionally occur on the surrounding mountain ranges. The nature reserve, like the rest of the Eastern Cape, is a

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

-free zone.

Vegetation

The vegetation of the reserve comprises

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 ...

Forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

, and

Albany Thicket Albany, derived from the Gaelic for Scotland, most commonly refers to: * Albany, New York, the capital of the State of New York and largest city of this name * Albany, Western Australia, a port city in the Great Southern region Albany may also ref ...

biomes. Many species of

flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

found in these biomes are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to South Africa. Bush encroachment by Acacia karoo is currently a threat to the biodiversity of Mpofu nature reserve.

Wildlife

There is a large variety of mammals found in the reserve including the endangered

White Rhino The white rhinoceros, also known as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum''), is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most Sociality, social of all rhino species, characterized by its wide mouth adapted f ...

. Other species include

Burchell's zebra Burchell's zebra (''Equus quagga burchellii'') is a southern subspecies of the plains zebra. It is named after the British explorer and naturalist William John Burchell. Common names include bontequagga, Damaraland zebra, and Zululand zebra (Gray ...

Giraffe The giraffe is a large Fauna of Africa, African even-toed ungulate, hoofed mammal belonging to the genus ''Giraffa.'' It is the Largest mammals#Even-toed Ungulates (Artiodactyla), tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant on ...

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 ...

African Buffalo The African buffalo (''Syncerus caffer)'' is a large sub-Saharan African bovine. The adult African buffalo's horns are its characteristic feature: they have fused bases, forming a continuous bone shield across the top of the head, referred to ...

, Eland, and

Black-backed jackal The black-backed jackal (''Lupulella mesomelas'') is a medium-sized Caninae, canine native to East Africa, eastern and southern Africa. These regions are separated by roughly . One region includes the southernmost tip of the continent, includin ...

. The bird life is also diverse, and there are many insect and reptile species found in the reserve. File:Neushoorngr.jpg, A White Rhino at the Mpofu Nature reserve File:Burchell's zebra (14801634917).jpg,

File:Cape Giraffe.jpg, Cape giraffe File:Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus).jpg, Northern bushbuck, Bushbuck File:Cape Buffalo (21116953495).jpg, Cape Buffalo File:Eland (Taurotragus oryx) male (32708655016).jpg, Common eland, Eland File:Southern Africa-Black backed jackal.jpg, Black backed jackal

Activities

The reserve hosts several hiking and walking trails, including the Katberg hiking trail. There is also bird watching, educational tours and game drives available. Nearby attractions include the mountain village, Hogsback, Eastern Cape, Hogsback, and Khoisan rock art in Waylands.

Mountain Passes

There are three passes which traverse between the Mpofu Nature reserve and the Fort Fordyce Nature Reserves:

Blinkwater Pass

The Blinkwater Pass is a 19 kilometre gravel pass which goes northward up the Amathola escarpment across the reserve. The entrance to this pass is free, however, there are gated control points. This is the longest of the three local passes that traverse the Mpofu and Fort Fordyce Nature Reserves.

Fuller's Hoek Pass

Fuller's Hoek Pass Fuller's Hoek Pass, (English: Fuller's Corner), is situated in the Eastern Cape, province of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces ...

lies off the R67 northwest of Fort Beaufort within the Fort Fordyce Nature Reserve. It is 8 km in length and has many curves and bends. The road passes rare afromontane forest. Snow often falls in this area during the winter.

Bosnek Pass

The Bosnek Pass is a 9 km gravel pass. The altitude variance is 418 metres and the summit is at a height of 1121 metres. The road is engineered with a 1:8

gradient In vector calculus, the gradient of a scalar-valued differentiable function f of several variables is the vector field (or vector-valued function) \nabla f whose value at a point p gives the direction and the rate of fastest increase. The g ...

. The road is subject to washaways and corrugation.

Mythology

The Blinkwater Monster is said to visit the reserve regularly. The Blinkwater Monster refers to a fossil of ''Pareiasaurus serridens'', a mammal-like reptile, which was named and discovered by

Andrew Geddes Bain Andrew Geddes Bain (baptised 11 June 1797 – 20 October 1864), was a Cape Colony geologist, road engineer, palaeontologist and explorer. Life history The only child of Alexander Bain and Jean Geddes, both of whom died when Bain was still a ...

, a geologist and palaeontologist who discovered many fossils in the areas surrounding the reserve. He was awarded £200 by the British government in 1845 for his research.

Notes

References

External links

Eastern Cape Parks
*https://plak.co.za/moreinfo/414/mpofu-nature-reserve *http://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZASCA/1997/84.html {{Eastern Cape Provincial Parks * Nature reserves in South Africa Protected areas of the Eastern Cape Eastern Cape Provincial Parks