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Silverglen Nature Reserve
Silverglen Nature Reserve is a 460 hectare conservancy on the Umlaas River located aside the suburb of Silverglen, Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.[1] The reserve is the largest piece of coastal grassland and bush clump mosaic in Greater Durban, and is home to the first medicinal plant nursery in Africa, established in 1986.[2][3] Plants and AnimalsSilverglen Nature Reserve has the highest number of tree and bird species of any of the nature reserves in Durban.[4] Over 280 grassland plant species, and over 35 grass species are naturally occurring in the reserve.[2] Of the 120 tree species in the reserve, notable specimens include the forest milkberry, red beech, forest bushwillow and the silver oak. The reserve attracts a number of bird species, including the Narina trogon, green malkoha, and Burchell's coucal.[2][4] Crime and Land InvasionsThe nature reserve was closed to the public during the 1990s due to violent crime, but was reopened in 2017.[4][5] In 2018, residents from the nearby Umlazi township began illegally demarcating land in the reserve for settlement in what has been named a land invasion.[6][7] The eThekwini Municipality has since erected a fence around the reserve to prevent further attempts at land grabs,[8] and following the discovery of a body in the reserve, an entrance was shut down by authorities.[5] In March 2021 two municipal game rangers on patrol were killed by unknown gunmen.[9][10][11] Following the discovery of another body in the reserve in April 2021, two men were arrested for murder.[12] References
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