Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve, Free State,

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

is an 18,000 Ha reserve situated to the south west of

Harrismith Harrismith is a large town in the Free State province of South Africa. It was named for Sir Harry Smith, a 19th-century British governor and high commissioner of the Cape Colony. It is situated by the Wilge River, alongside the N3 highway, ab ...

. The reserve is close to the Drakensberg Mountain nature reserve. The reserve offers campsites and hiking trails and a large variety of fauna and flora.

Fauna and flora

Antelope

Oribi The oribi (; ''Ourebia ourebi'') is a small antelope found in eastern, southern and western Africa. The sole member of its genus, it was described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm von Zimmermann in 1783. While this is the only m ...

Mountain reedbuck The mountain reedbuck (''Redunca fulvorufula'') is an antelope found in mountainous areas of much of sub-Saharan Africa. Subspecies There are three recognized subspecies. * ''Redunca fulvorufula adamauae'' - Adamawa mountain reedbuck * ''Redun ...

Grey rhebuck The grey rhebok or gray rhebuck (''Pelea capreolus''), locally known as the ''reebok'' in Afrikaans, is a species of antelope native to South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland). The specific name ''capreolus'' is Latin for 'little goat'. ...

Birdlife

African fish eagle just caught fish.jpg,

African fish eagle The African fish eagle (''Haliaeetus vocifer'') or the African sea eagle, is a large species of eagle found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply occur. It is the national bird of Malawi, ...

Bartgeier Gypaetus barbatus front Richard Bartz.jpg,

Bearded vulture The bearded vulture (''Gypaetus barbatus''), also known as the lammergeier and ossifrage, is a very large bird of prey and the only member of the genus ''Gypaetus''. Traditionally considered an Old World vulture, it actually forms a separate ...

Polemaetus bellicosus -Masai Mara-8.jpg,

Martial eagle The martial eagle (''Polemaetus bellicosus'') is a large eagle native to sub-Saharan Africa.Ferguson-Lees & Christie, ''Raptors of the World''. Houghton Mifflin Company (2001), . It is the only member of the genus ''Polemaetus''. A species of ...

Gyps coprotheres1.jpg,

Cape vulture The Cape vulture (''Gyps coprotheres''), also known as Cape griffon and Kolbe's vulture, is an Old World vulture in the family '' Accipitridae''. It is endemic to southern Africa, and lives mainly in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, and in some ...

Witkruisarend.jpg,

Verreaux's eagle Verreaux's eagle (''Aquila verreauxii'') is a large, mostly African, bird of prey. It is also called the black eagle, especially in southern Africa, not to be confused with the Indian black eagle (''Ictinaetus malayensis''), which lives far ...

Black_eagle.jpg,

Black eagle The black eagle (''Ictinaetus malaiensis'') is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus ''Ictinaetus''. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South ...

Trees

* Yellowwood * Wild peach * Koko tree *

Silky bark ''Maytenus acuminata'' (also called the silky bark, umNama or Sybas) is a variable, medium-sized, evergreen tree indigenous to Africa, including South Africa. Here it is especially common on the verges of afro-montane forest. It produces small ...

Grasses and bushes

*Wild myrtle *

Redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Cupressaceae. It includes the largest and tallest trees in the world. Description The three redwood subfamily genera are '' Sequoia'' from coas ...

rooihout (not to be confused with the

redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Cupressaceae. It includes the largest and tallest trees in the world. Description The three redwood subfamily genera are '' Sequoia'' from coas ...

tree) * Ouhout * Bush guarri * Highveld protea * Silver sugarbush *

Tree fern The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tre ...

Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve Panorama

Gallery

(Click to enlarge) Image:Sterkfonteindamcampsite.JPG, A campsite with chalets at the water's edge of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir within the reserve. Note the dry conditions (conducive to bush fires) in the wintertime. Image:Sterkfontein Dam camping area.JPG, Camping area at the water's edge. Image:Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve 1.jpg, An early morning view of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir and surroundings from the campsite in the nature reserve. Image:Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve 2.jpg, A view of the camping area by the shores of the reservoir in the Sterkfontein Dam Nature Reserve

Notes

This park will be included into the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area, Peace Park.

References

{{Authority control Nature reserves in South Africa Protected areas of the Free State (province) Maluti-a-Phofung