Atherstone Collaborative Nature Reserve, also known as the Atherstone Nature Reserve, is a 23,500 hectare reserve situated near Dwaalboom in Limpopo, a province of South Africa. The reserve consists mainly of vast savannah plains with bushveld and Kalahari grasslands ecosystems. Besides antelope, zebra and giraffes, the south-central black rhinoceros and African bush elephants are some of the highlights of Atherstone.
History Norman Edward Atherstone, who was originally a cattle farmer, became the first game farmer in this area and did much to re-introduce some game on his farmland, which was to become Atherstone Game Reserve. He never had a wife nor children and, in his last will, he donated his farms to the former Transvaal Nature Conservation Department. In 1990 the Atherstone Nature Reserve was founded; it became the Atherstone Collaborative Nature Reserve in 1994, after some private farms were also incorporated into the reserve.
Animals The following list of animals were taken from a pamphlet of the nature reserve and from iNaturalist observations.
Common animal species found in the reserve: BuffaloCaracalCheetahDuiker–greyElandElephantGemsbuckGenetGiraffeHartebeest-redHyena–brownImpalaJackal-black-backedKuduLeopardMonkey-vervetRhino-blackRhino-whiteSable antelopeSteenbokTsessebeWarthogWaterbuckWildebeest-blueZebra Common bird species found in the reserve: OstrichHamerkopHadeda ibisAfrican spoonbillWhitefaced duckKnobbilled duckEgyptian gooseSecretary birdCape vultureLappet-faced vultureWhite-backed vultureTawny eagleWahlberg's eagleMartial eagleBrown snake eagleBlack-breasted snake eagleBateleurAfrican fish eagleDark chanting goshawkGabar goshawkCrested francolinSwainson's francolinCommon quailMelba finchHelmeted guineafowlBlue waxbillViolet-eared waxbillWhite-browed sparrow weaverParadise whydahKori bustardLesser masked weaverBlack korhaanRedcrested korhaanCrowned ploverBlacksmith ploverSpotted dikkopDouble-banded sandgrouseRock pigeonRed-eyed doveCape turtle doveLaughing doveNamaqua doveGreen-spotted doveGrey loerieJacobin cuckooDiederik cuckooBurchell's coucalBarn owlWhite-faced owlPearl-spotted owletFlernecked nightjarRufous-cheeked nightjarEuropean bee-eaterLittle bee-eaterBlue-cheeked bee-eaterEuropean rollerPurple rollerLilac-breasted rollerHoopoeGrey hornbillSouthern yellow-billed hornbillSouthern red-billed hornbillPied barbetEuropean swallowFork-tailed drongoPied crowBrown-hooded kingfisherTitbabblerPuffbackLong-billed crombecWattled starlingBurchell's starlingGroundscraper thrushMarico sunbirdRed-billed oxpecker
See also Protected areas of South Africa Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board
References
Further reading
External links Limpopo Tourism & Parks