Fauna & Flora

Wildlife
Baboons, Dassies, Grey Rhebuck, Klipspringers, Duiker and Grysbok are fairly common. Although Porcupine, Honeybadger, Cape Clawless Otter and Aardvark occur here. The Leopard is the Cederberg’s largest predator, and is fairly common although very shy. Smaller predators include African wild cat, lynx, bat-eared fox, aardwolf and Cape fox.  The small grey mongoose and striped polecat are often seen.  Various interesting rodents occur, including the spectacled dormouse. 

The Cederberg is home to more than 100 bird species, with Black Eagle, Rock Kestrel and Jackal Buzzard the most common raptors.  The Armadillo Lizard is one of the endemic reptiles occurring only in the Cederberg.  Of the 16 snake species, occurring here, the most common are the Berg Adder, Puff Adder, Cape Cobra and Black Spitting Cobra.

The Clanwilliam Yellowfish, Clanwilliam Redfin minnow and Fiery Redfin minnow are but a few of the nine threatened fish species endemic to the area.

Fynbos
Fynbos is a common name for the fine-leafed, thick, shrub-like vegetation which occurs in the winter rainfall area of the southern and south-western parts of the Western Cape. Fynbos consists of three main plant types: Ericas with fine leaves and bell shaped flowers, leafless reed-like restios, and colorful proteas.

Fynbos or the Cape Floral Kingdom is the smallest of the world’s six plant kingdoms, covering only 0.4% of the earth’s surface. According to its size it is the most species-rich plant kingdom, boasting 8 600 species.

Conservation
Kromrivier and Cederberg Tourist Park forms part of the leopard conservation area which was established in 1988.  Cedar trees are becoming scarcer and a cedar reserve of about 5 250 ha was created in 1987.

The wilderness area forms the core of the leopard conservation area which was established in 1988.  Kromrivier is within the 2 000 km leopard management programme.  It is managed in collaboration with the landowners.  We now also make use of Anatolian Shepherd dogs to guard our flocks against predators.

The Olifants River System includes the Doring River and other rivers rising in the Cederberg.  This system has the largest amount of endemic fish species south of the Zambezi-river (9 in total).  All of them are facing extinction.