The Sand River’s first flood in two years sparked a surge in amphibian activity on EWT’s Medike Reserve. A recent survey recorded 14 frog species, highlighting the ecosystem’s health and biodiversity in this vital Soutpansberg habitat.
The Widenham Wetland on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has been formally declared a Protected Environment, marking a significant step in conserving the Endangered Pickersgill’s Reed Frog and enhancing the site’s ecological integrity.
Klein Swartberg Mountain is home to the only known populations of the Critically Endangered Rough Moss Frog, which faces grave threats within this range, including habitat loss caused by alien invasive plants and frequent unplanned fires, which have led to a severe population decline.
The infectious drive for amphibian conservation by local frog conservation pioneers has awakened a love for frogs and frogging within the community, who flocked to the newly proclaimed Umgavusa Protected Environment to catch a glimpse of the Endangered Pickersgill’s Reed Frog.
I stepped around a bush to find a little brown and grey snake with tortoiseshell scallops on its back at my feet. The excitement was so great that we almost missed the snake making a “run” for it! We had rediscovered South Africa’s most threatened snake. Number 13 in history! Finding the Albany Adder was sheer enchantment.