Another reserve threatened
First a market in the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve, then secret plans for the commercialisation of the Groenkloof reserve and now confirmation of plans for the commercial development of Wonderboom Nature Reserve.
Stephané Bothma
The commercial development of yet another nature reserve in Pretoria – this time the Wonderboom reserve – is on the cards.
The Gauteng sports, recreation, arts and culture department confirmed that it had commissioned an environmental impact study into the possibility of doing some developments to the Wonderboom nature reserve.
Nomazwe Ntlokwana was reported as saying that one of the proposals for the reserve had been the establishment of a cable car service taking visitors to and from the Wonderboom Junction to the Wonderboom Fort.
There were also plans to build additional chalets to allow overnight stays.
However, grave concern about the development was expressed by Pieter Saunders, chairman of the Magaliesberg Raptor Research Project and the project co-ordinator of the Wonderboom Urban Verreaux’s Eagle project.
“We have been notified by one of the persons who is doing a preliminary assessment that the department now has plans for Wonderboom that are similar to the plans it had for Groenkloof Nature reserve,” Saunders said in a statement.
“All parties involved have been sworn to secrecy, being told that they don’t want a repeat of the fiasco that happened with Groenkloof. According to my understanding, the department is either looking to build a hotel and function venue with cable car, or build various chalets with function venue and cable car.”
He said plans were also underway to rehabilitate the Wonderboom Fort and rebuild it to look like Fort Klapperkop and Fort Skanskop.
“Not only is this reserve the nesting ground for the Verreaux’s Eagle (upgraded from species of least concern in 2002 to vulnerable in 2016 ) in Tshwane, but various other endangered species also make this their home,” he said.
Saunders said the pair of eagles was the most urbanised in the world.
With the Wonderboom being approximately two square kilometres big, there was no way that any building or construction activities would not be detrimental to firstly the various species’ foraging behaviour, he said.
Saunders said it would be detrimental to the availability of prey (more hiding places for prey or their eradication by pest control).
“Their various breeding behaviour will be impacted by the increased human presence, not to speak of the additional collision risks for the flying species imposed by additional overhead structures and reduced habitat for the other cliff/mountain specific species.”
“My concern is, if the current participants have been sworn to secrecy, will we be given a chance as environmental organisations to give our inputs to the assessment, and development plans?” Saunders asked.
Also read:
The end of Groenkloof Nature Reserve?
Rietvlei Nature Reserve has a new cheetah
Two more attacks in Groenkloof reserve
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