Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Protected natural area near Cape Town, South Africa
Kogelberg Nature Reserve is a large mountainous protected area in the Western Cape with varied landscapes ranging from high peaks to river valleys. The terrain includes steep slopes, patches of forest, and open grassland that support many different habitats.
In the 1950s, a landowner named Harry Molteno started transforming this territory into a nature reserve. The area received its formal protection status as a nature reserve in 1987.
San hunters and Khoi herders once made these mountains their home, and their presence is still visible in shell deposits and burial sites scattered across the slopes. These traces show how people lived closely with this wild landscape for generations.
The reserve is accessible daily during daylight hours, and visitors should wear sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water for their time here. The terrain is open and wild, so proper preparation for changing weather conditions is recommended.
The reserve holds an exceptionally high plant diversity for its size, ranking among the richest plant-to-area ratios found anywhere on Earth. This botanical richness stems from the varied soils and elevation changes across the protected land.
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