NEW NORTHERN DRAKENSBERG NATURE RESERVE

Protea in Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve by Megan Bedingham of The Cavern
Did you know that KwaZulu-Natal has a new Nature Reserve? The Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve will soon be celebrating its first year.
In 2018, a few neighbours in the Putterill valley of the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal came up with a dream of combining their properties into a joint nature reserve. That dream evolved into an idea, from which grew a plan, and finally, as of the 18th of April 2024, a reality.
Comprising 6,500 hectares, the Northern Drakensberg Nature Reserve (NDNR), of which The Cavern / Sungubala is a founding member, is KwaZulu-Natal’s newest nature reserve, and one of the most significant conservation achievements across southern Africa in recent years.
The establishment of the NDNR is a truly collaborative effort, representing the sweat and toil of various actors, ranging from small private landowners all the way to the World Wildlife Fund. It also represents a giant leap ahead in the consolidation of various tracts of the Drakensberg into a single conservation corridor, linking Sterkfontein Nature Reserve in the Free State with the uKhahlamba/Maloti Drakensberg Park in KwaZulu-Natal, the latter also being a World Heritage Site.
As we head towards the reserve’s first birthday, why not book a meeting with Brenda at The Cavern to understand more about why this is such a win for both local communities, conservation of the environment, the resident wildlife and our visitors!

The Cavern Drakensberg aerial
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