uMhlanga nature reserve open to the public
The uMhlanga reserve, said the walkways are open to the public from 6am to 3pm under the current Covid-19 regulations.
EZEMVELO KZN Wildlife officer, Basil Pather has welcomed the opening of the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve to the public.
The reserve, which is 26 hectares in size, is home to a number of trails that lead through dune forest, across the lagoon and onto the beach.
Pather, who is the conservation manager at uMhlanga reserve, said the walkways are open to the public from 6am to 3pm under the current Covid-19 regulations.
“It’s great to have the public and local residents back again as the reserve is a sanctuary not only for small wildlife but also for a number of wetland and coastal forest species. It’s also home to more than 200 bird species as well as blue and grey duiker and a number of bushbuck. Residents can now also enter the reserve via the Lagoon Drive entrance, this was closed off until recently because of construction work to repair the fencing around the wetland.
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“So residents and the public have a choice of accessing the reserve from either the promenade or the Lagoon Drive entrance. We have officers stationed within the reserve as well. At this stage the rehabilitation project to the wetland, which was damaged by the M4 road collapse, is progressing well and slowly but surely we will restore it to its natural glory,” he said.
Speaking on the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve, Pather said the reserve is still closed to the public.
“We are awaiting clarification on when the Beachwood Mangroves reserve will reopen to the public, however at this stage it is closed for the forseeable future. We are working on possibly doing virtual tours for school groups and tours who cannot visit us due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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