Blouberg Nature Reserve

About Blouberg Nature Reserve

The Blouberg Nature Reserve is situated west of Makhado, just off route 521 in the beautiful Soutpansberg in Limpopo,

Did you know? The iconic attraction of the reserve is a colony 1210 pairs of endangered Cape Vultures roosting and breeding in the cliffs. This is the largest colony in Southern Africa of these endemic vultures.

The Blouberg Nature Reserve lies in relative obscurity in the midst of rural village and farming communities at the foot of the eastern foothills of the Blouberg Mountain, for its part an inselberg of the greater Soutpansberg chain of mountains, even if it is separated from it by 30 kilometres of flat plains.

The 9 000 odd hectare Blouberg Nature Reserve has a bird list of well over 225 species and sighting over 100 different birds in one day is not unusual. It is thus a fixture on the birding trail where the chance of seeing the rare melanistic Gabar goshawk and other raptors such as Verreaux's eagle-owl, brown snake-eagle, tawny eagle and a series of owls brings eager bird watchers.

The Blouberg Conservation project runs a vulture project to promote the endangered Cape griffon (vulture) and other vulture species through community involvement. The reserve has the world's largest breeding colony of Cape vultures and regular sightings of this raptor and Rüppell's vulture are more than likely.

Blouberg Nature Reserve otherwise is a beautiful patchwork quilt of dry bushveld savannah, giant baobabs and mashatu trees. There are bush camps, great hiking opportunities and the chance of sighting wildlife such as zebra and various antelope.

Blouberg Nature Reserve also forms the eastern boundary of the Seraki Blouberg Route (referring to Chief Maleboho who played an enormous role in the Bahananwa people's history) that stretches through a few of the hundred or so villages that make up the area located in the foothills of the Blouberg Mountain - highlighting projects, attractions and a range of cultural and natural treasures.