Tygerberg Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Tygerberg Nature Reserve is a nature reserve
on the Tygerberg Hills, in the northern suburbs of Cape Town
, South Africa
.
This nature reserve one of the few surviving pockets of the highly threatened Swartland Shale Renosterveld
vegetation type. The 300 ha reserve has an exceptional number of species. There are nearly five hundred different plant species here, twelve of which are threatened with extinction and eight of which exist only in Cape Town. Three of the plant species of Tygerberg exist only within the boundaries of the reserve itself. In addition, there are over a hundred bird species and a variety of wild mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The Plattekloof Dam is located just west of the hills, and is being restored to a natural wetland.
The park hosts the Kristo Pienaar Environmental Education Centre with its library and resource centre. This is a popular venue for school excursions and education programmes.
The name Tygerberg (“Tiger Mountain”) comes from the characteristic spots, or “heuweltjies” which exist in Shale Renosterveld
. They can be seen from a distance, covering these hills, and early settlers thus named the hills after an animal that they mistakenly believed had spots on its skin.
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
on the Tygerberg Hills, in the northern suburbs of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
This nature reserve one of the few surviving pockets of the highly threatened Swartland Shale Renosterveld
Swartland Shale Renosterveld
Swartland Shale Renosterveld is a critically endangered vegetation type of the Western Cape, South Africa. -Distribution:...
vegetation type. The 300 ha reserve has an exceptional number of species. There are nearly five hundred different plant species here, twelve of which are threatened with extinction and eight of which exist only in Cape Town. Three of the plant species of Tygerberg exist only within the boundaries of the reserve itself. In addition, there are over a hundred bird species and a variety of wild mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The Plattekloof Dam is located just west of the hills, and is being restored to a natural wetland.
The park hosts the Kristo Pienaar Environmental Education Centre with its library and resource centre. This is a popular venue for school excursions and education programmes.
The name Tygerberg (“Tiger Mountain”) comes from the characteristic spots, or “heuweltjies” which exist in Shale Renosterveld
Swartland Shale Renosterveld
Swartland Shale Renosterveld is a critically endangered vegetation type of the Western Cape, South Africa. -Distribution:...
. They can be seen from a distance, covering these hills, and early settlers thus named the hills after an animal that they mistakenly believed had spots on its skin.
See also
- Biodiversity of Cape TownBiodiversity of Cape Town- Floristic region :The city of Cape Town lies within the Cape Floristic Kingdom . - Vegetation types :...
- List of nature reserves in Cape Town
- Swartland Shale RenosterveldSwartland Shale RenosterveldSwartland Shale Renosterveld is a critically endangered vegetation type of the Western Cape, South Africa. -Distribution:...