Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve is a protected area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The Baviaanskloof - (old Afrikaans for “Valley of Baboons”) - lies between the Baviaanskloof mountains and Kouga mountain ranges.
Because of its uniqueness, the Cape Floral Kingdom is listed as one of the world's 25 "Biodiversity Hot-Spots". For this reason Baviaanskloof, locked away in relative isolation, is a treasure.
The eastern-most point of the valley is some 95 km NW of the coastal city of Port Elizabeth. The Baviaanskloof area includes a cluster of formal protected areas managed by the Eastern Cape Parks Board totalling around 500,000 hectares (1,200,000 acres), of which the most well-known is the 184 385 ha Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve - the third largest protected area in South Africa. It also includes the Groendal Nature Reserve and Formosa Nature Reserve, and encompasses private land mostly used for stock farming.
The Baviaanskloof area is one of outstanding natural beauty, owing to its spectacular land forms, a diverse array of plants and wide variety of animals. The area is part of the Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site as of 2004.
Fauna
At last species count there were 1161 plants, around 50 mammals, 310 birds including booted, crowned, black, fish and martial eagles, 56 reptiles, 55 butterflies, 15 fishes and the most diverse vegetation types in the Cape Kingdom.
The Cape Buffalo and Mountain Zebra have been re-introduced and the rare Cape Leopard is also seen from time to time. Numerous encounters with baboons are, of course, certain.
There is an abundance small mammals and antelope from the rock dassie to the klipspringer, the steenbok, the kuda and masses of majestic eland.
