The Western Cape is home to an array of freshwater habitats, from serene mountain streams to picturesque dams. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a novice looking to cast your first line, understanding the regulations, and acquiring the necessary permits is crucial for an enjoyable and sustainable fishing experience. Before embarking on your freshwater fishing adventure, it's essential to comprehend the significance of obtaining a permit.

Spotting a zebra is something of a wonderous task for admirers of wildlife’s beauty, but monitoring of Cape mountain zebra populations provides vital information that is used to inform management decisions and actions and is one of the objectives of the gazetted Biodiversity Management Plan for this species.

When NASA isn’t spending its time exploring the depths of outer space, its lending its technology for the ambitious BioSCape project, which seeks to detect patterns of biodiversity and ecosystem health in the fynbos biome.

Three months ago, on 1 August, leading conservation, animal welfare and volunteer organisations in the Western Cape joined forces to launch Snare Free – a multi-component initiative aimed at providing a coordinated response to snared wildlife incidents in the province. A lot has happened since!

On July 22, 2023, the CapeNature team from Kammanassie Nature Reserve carried out a critical rescue mission involving a Cape Mountain Zebra (CMZ) on the Diepprivier farm property in the Noll area, situated approximately 30 kilometers from Kammanassie.

CapeNature’s marine rangers led a herculean effort with the support of the community and up to now more than a thousand seahorses were rescued and 720 have been returned to their natural habitat. They are being put back into the estuaries where they usually occur and where there is a huge eelgrass bed where they seek refuge and shelter and where they find their food.

The geometric tortoise (Psammobates geometricus), classified as Critically Endangered, ranks among the top 25 most imperilled tortoises and turtles globally. Its future remains uncertain, with an estimated wild population of fewer than 3000. This species is highly specialised in its habitat requirements, historically found in the low-lying renosterveld shrublands of the Swartland, Upper Breede River Valley, and Ceres Valley.

Last year, African Penguins successfully bred at De Hoop Nature Reserve, and this year, a pair is once again nurturing two chicks at the new colony. These chicks were spotted at the end of June, perched just outside the nest that was occupied the previous year. African Penguins display remarkable fidelity to their colonies and often return to the same nest annually to reunite with their mates.

Invasive alien plant species are one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and threaten many indigenous species. To address this issue, government laws, specifically the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983 (Act NO. 43 of 1983) and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act NO. 10 of 2004), legally obligate landowners to monitor, control, and eradicate alien invasive plants.

A joint initiative between VulPro, Cango Wildlife Ranch, and CapeNature results in the triumphant rehabilitation and release of a Cape Vulture.VulPro, based on the outskirts of Hartebeespoort Dam in the Northwest Province, is a specialised vulture conservation organisation that also undertakes specialist rehabilitation of vultures. VulPro collects injured or grounded birds from every corner of South Africa in an effort to reduce losses - giving each bird a second chance of release and survival.

CapeNature will join hands with local communities in hosting the #DontBeTrashy drive from 1 to 30 September 2023. In the face of an escalating waste crisis, the #DontBeTrashy drive is a shining beacon of hope, advocating for a greener, more sustainable world.

CapeNature is proud to present the 2022 State of Conservation Report. This is the third State of Conservation Report to inform the periodic Western Cape State of Biodiversity Report, as mandated by the newly assented Western Cape Biodiversity Act, aimed at providing the status of indicators for assessing the global state of biodiversity.