| Groenkloof Nature Reserve | |
| Map: | South Africa Pretoria#South Africa Gauteng |
| Relief: | 1 |
| Location: | Tshwane, South Africa |
| Nearest City: | Pretoria |
| Coordinates: | -25.7934°N 28.2039°W |
| Established: | 1895 |
| Url: | Groenkloof NR, City of Tshwane |
The Groenkloof Nature Reserve, located adjacent to the Fountains Valley at the southern entrance to Pretoria, was the first game sanctuary in Africa. The reserve of 600 ha is managed by the Department of Nature Conservation. The National Heritage Monument is located within the reserve. It is flanked by Christina de Wit Avenue and Nelson Mandela Drive, that separate it from the Voortrekker Monument and Klapperkop Nature Reserves. In aggregate these reserves conserve some 1,400 ha of bankenveld vegetation which is threatened in Gauteng.[1] The reserve is open to day visitors from 5:30 to 19:00 in summer, and 7:00 to 18:00 in winter.
This valley on the southern outskirts of Pretoria was proclaimed a game sanctuary by President Paul Kruger on 25 February 1895. Its main purpose was to protect the shy and timid oribi, which occurred there, and other game that were being depleted by hunters.[2] For many years however, the reserve was leased for exotic timber plantation, to supply wood and paper. A memorial wall is to be seen beside traces of the homestead of the early pioneer Lucas Bronkhorst, who settled here around 1839.
In April 2015 the head of the reserve, David Boshoff, was suspended and evicted from his council home by the Tshwane metro HR manager. The eviction came in the fifth month of a strike by the majority of the reserve's workers, who reportedly negated their agreement with management to return to work in February.[3]
When the reserve was reproclaimed in 1994, the plantations were removed to allow the natural vegetation to regenerate. Open grassland occurs along the Apies valley and the higher plateau. Native trees occur at varying densities on the hillsides and in the lower valley. These include white stinkwood, hook-thorn, mountain karee, velvet bushwillow, wild pear and puzzle bush.[2]
Since 1999 the reserve was stocked with various game species. These include zebra, blesbok, impala, kudu, blue wildebeest, red hartebeest (since 2002), giraffe (2002), sable (2003) and ostrich. Jackal, duiker and rock hyrax are also resident.
Over 120 bird species have been recorded in the reserve and the adjacent Fountains Valley.[4] Game birds include guineafowl, Swainson's spurfowl and crested francolin. The grassy floodplain of the Apies river and its riparian vegetation provide breeding habitat for a number of weaver, bishop and widow species, while the open woodlands on the lower hill slopes provide breeding territories for bushshrike and tchagra species.[4]
| Bird species of Groenkloof Nature Reserve | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common name | Scientific name | Status | Breeding | |
| Struthio camelus | uncommon | |||
| Phalacrocorax africanus | vagrant | |||
| Ardea cinerea | rare | |||
| Bubulcus ibis | uncommon | |||
| Scopus umbretta | rare | |||
| Bostrychia hagedash | abundant | |||
| Alopochen aegyptiacus | uncommon | |||
| Milvus aegyptius | rare | |||
| Aquila verreauxii | uncommon | |||
| Buteo vulpinus | rare | |||
| Accipiter minullus | rare | |||
| Peliperdix coqui | rare | |||
| Crested francolin | Dendroperdix sephaena | rare | ||
| Pternistis swainsonii | regular | |||
| Numida meleagris | abundant | breeder | ||
| Vanellus coronatus | regular | |||
| Vanellus armatus | rare | |||
| Vanellus senegallus | rare | |||
| Speckled pigeon | Columba guinea | rare | ||
| African olive pigeon | Columba arquatrix | rare | breeder | |
| Streptopelia semitorquata | regular | breeder | ||
| Streptopelia capicola | abundant | |||
| Streptopelia senegalensis | abundant | |||
| Columba livia | rare | |||
| Corythaixoides concolor | abundant | |||
| Cuculus solitarius | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Cuculus clamosus | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Clamator levaillantii | rare | breeder | ||
| Chrysococcyx klaas | rare | breeder | ||
| Chrysococcyx caprius | regular | breeder | ||
| Apus caffer | uncommon | |||
| Apus affinis | uncommon | |||
| Cypsiurus parvus | uncommon | |||
| Colius striatus | regular | |||
| Urocolius indicus | regular | |||
| Halcyon senegalensis | rare | breeder | ||
| Halcyon albiventris | rare | |||
| Merops apiaster | uncommon | |||
| Upupa africana | regular | |||
| Phoeniculus purpureus | regular | breeder | ||
| Lybius torquatus | common | |||
| Pogoniulus chrysoconus | rare | |||
| Trachyphonus vaillantii | abundant | |||
| Indicator minor | uncommon | |||
| Prodotiscus regulus | rare | |||
| Campethera abingoni | rare | |||
| Dendropicos fuscescens | uncommon | |||
| Jynx ruficollis | rare | |||
| Mirafra africana | rare | breeder | ||
| Hirundo rustica | rare | |||
| Hirundo albigularis | rare | |||
| Hirundo cucullata | regular | |||
| Hirundo abyssinica | rare | |||
| Hirundo spilodera | rare | |||
| Hirundo fuligula | uncommon | |||
| Delichon urbicum | rare | |||
| Campephaga flava | rare | |||
| White-breasted cuckooshrike | Coracina pectoralis | vagrant | ||
| Dicrurus adsimilis | common | |||
| Oriolus larvatus | regular | |||
| Corvus albus | uncommon | |||
| Turdoides jardineii | common | |||
| Pycnonotus tricolor | abundant | breeder | ||
| Turdus libonyanus | regular | |||
| Psophocichla litsipsirupa | uncommon | |||
| Turdus smithi | rare | |||
| Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris | rare | |||
| Saxicola torquatus | rare | |||
| Cossypha caffra | common | |||
| Cercotrichas leucophrys | rare | |||
| Phylloscopus trochilus | rare | |||
| Acrocephalus palustris | rare | |||
| Sphenoeacus afer | rare | |||
| Apalis thoracica | rare | |||
| Cisticola juncidis | rare | breeder | ||
| Cisticola fulvicapilla | regular | |||
| Cisticola chiniana | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Cisticola aberrans | rare | |||
| Prinia subflava | abundant | |||
| Prinia flavicans | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Muscicapa striata | uncommon | |||
| Melaenornis pammelaina | rare | |||
| Sigelus silens | regular | |||
| Batis molitor | rare | |||
| Stenostira scita | rare | |||
| Terpsiphone viridis | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Anthus lineiventris | rare | |||
| Lanius collaris | abundant | |||
| Laniarius ferrugineus | abundant | |||
| Dryoscopus cubla | regular | |||
| Tchagra australis | rare | breeder | ||
| Tchagra senegalus | regular | breeder | ||
| Telophorus zeylonus | common | breeder | ||
| Malaconotus blanchoti | rare | breeder | ||
| Prionops plumatus | rare | |||
| Nilaus afer | rare | |||
| Acridotheres tristis | common | breeder | ||
| Lamprotornis nitens | regular | |||
| Red-winged starling | Onychognathus morio | rare | ||
| Cinnyris talatala | regular | |||
| Chalcomitra amethystina | regular | |||
| Zosterops virens | rare | |||
| Passer domesticus | rare | |||
| Passer melanurus | common | breeder | ||
| Ploceus velatus | abundant | breeder | ||
| Euplectes orix | regular | breeder | ||
| Euplectes ardens | uncommon | breeder | ||
| Euplectes albonotatus | regular | breeder | ||
| Euplectes progne | rare | breeder | ||
| Spermestes cucullatus | uncommon | |||
| Lagonosticta rubricata | rare | |||
| Lagonosticta rhodopareia | rare | |||
| Uraeginthus angolensis | rare | |||
| Estrilda erythronotos | rare | |||
| Estrilda astrild | uncommon | |||
| Purple indigobird | Vidua purpurascens | rare | breeder | |
| Crithagra mozambicus | common | breeder | ||
| Crithagra atrogularis | regular | |||
| Crithagra gularis | regular | |||
| Emberiza tahapisi | rare | |||
Special invertebrates of the reserve include Gunning's rock scorpion, golden-starburst baboon spider, the violin spider L. speluncarum which is endemic to caves of the Pretoria area,[5] [6] and the purse-web spider, Calommata transvaalica,[7] which is severely threatened by urbanization in Gauteng.
Entrance fees differ depending on the intended activity, and the number of persons partaking. The reserve is popular with cyclists, and mountain bikers can follow a 20 km route. The three hiking trails are designated as the red (1.3/3.5 km), white (3.7 km) and yellow (10.5 km) trails. Hikers can reserve an overnight hut. Off-road enthusiasts can explore 14 km of 4x4 tracks, while game viewing is possible from a 5 km motor car route. Guided horse rides and pony rides for kids are also offered. There are two picnic areas, named Meriting and Mashupeng, and a lapa may be rented for evening get-togethers.