Rust de Winter Nature Reserve encloses
Rust de Winter Dam near
Hammanskraal
Hammanskraal is a trans-provincial region anchored in northern Gauteng province, South Africa. The region consists of multiple residential, industrial, and commercial areas in a decentralized settlement pattern.
History
The historical roots of ...
in the southern
Limpopo
Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...
province,
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 ...
.
Wildlife
Game to be viewed include
waterbuck
The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus ''Kobus (antelope), Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first Scientific description, described by Irish naturalist Will ...
,
zebra
Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...
,
common warthog
The common warthog (''Phacochoerus africanus'') is a wild member of the pig family (Suidae) found in grassland, savanna, and woodland in sub-Saharan Africa. In the past, it was commonly treated as a subspecies of ''P. aethiopicus'', but today th ...
,
aardvark
Aardvarks ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') are medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammals native to Africa. Aardvarks are the only living species of the family Orycteropodidae and the order Tubulidentata. They have a long proboscis, similar to a pi ...
,
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large, semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term "crocodile" is sometimes used more loosely to include ...
,
bushpig
:''"Bush pig" may also refer to the red river hog.''
The bushpig (''Potamochoerus larvatus'') is a member of the pig family that inhabits forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and cultivated areas in East and Southern Africa. Probably introd ...
and
kudu
The kudus are two species of antelope of the genus '' Tragelaphus'':
* Lesser kudu, ''Tragelaphus imberbis'', of eastern Africa
* Greater kudu, ''Tragelaphus strepsiceros'', of eastern and southern Africa
The two species look similar, th ...
. During summer, numerous migratory
wader
245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots
Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...
s congregate on the gentle slopes of the reservoir's northern shores.
Wood sandpiper is the most numerous species. Birds present in the surrounding grassland and woodland include
buttonquail
Buttonquail or hemipodes are members of a small family of birds, Turnicidae, which resemble, but are not closely related to, the quails of Phasianidae. They inhabit warm grasslands in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia. There are 18 species in ...
,
penduline tit
The penduline tits constitute the family (biology), family Remizidae, of small perching bird, passerine birds related to the true tit (bird), tits. All but the verdin make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees (whence "penduline", hanging), usua ...
,
crimson-breasted shrike and
Burchell's starling
Burchell's starling (''Lamprotornis australis'') or Burchell's glossy-starling is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. The monogamous and presumably sedentary species is native to dry and mesic woodlands and savannah of southern Africa ...
.
Incidents
In May 2025 the bodies of Aserie Ndlovu, a journalist and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli were found in a thick bush outside Rust de Winter. The couple has been missing since 18 February 2025 in
KwaMhlanga
KwaMhlanga is a town in the Nkangala district municipality of the Mpumalanga province in South Africa. It is the spiritual home of the Ndebele tribe that settled here in the early 18th century.
KwaMhlanga is 73 km or an hour's drive from t ...
.
Gallery
Long-billed Crombec (or Cape Crombec), Sylvietta rufescens, at Rust de Winter Dam, Limpopo, South Africa. (43613202010).jpg, Long-billed crombec
Orange-breasted bushshrike, Chlorophoneus (Telophorus) sulfureopectus, at Rust de Winter Dam, Limpopo, South Africa. (44707993214).jpg, Orange-breasted bushshrike
Yellow-fronted tinkerbird, Pogoniulus chrysoconus, at Rust de Winter Dam, South Africa. (45364883664).jpg, Yellow-fronted tinkerbird
The yellow-fronted tinkerbird (''Pogoniulus chrysoconus'') is a small bird in the family Lybiidae formerly known as yellow-fronted tinker barbet. It is sometimes considered conspecific with its southern counterpart, the red-fronted tinkerbird, ' ...
See also
*
Protected areas of South Africa
The protected areas of South Africa include national parks and marine protected areas managed by the national government, public nature reserves managed by provincial and local governments, and private nature reserves managed by private lando ...
References
{{Reflist
Nature reserves in South Africa