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- Country:South Africa
- Site number:1687
- Area:10,799 ha
- Designation date:22-05-2007
- Coordinates:22°23'S 31°12'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Overview
This Site, adjacent to the borders with Mozambique and Zimbabwe where the Luvuvhu River meets the Limpopo, features riparian woodlands, floodplain grasslands, and 31 seasonal pans that fill during floods and provide critical habitat for a variety of species. A wide variety of species depend on the floodplain in this arid landscape. These include the globally vulnerable Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and the critically endangered African longfin eel (Anguilla mossambica). Several rare bird species including the white-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) and the African pygmy goose (Nettapus auritus) can be observed, as well as various species migrating on the East Africa/East Asia flyway, that use the Site as a refuge. The Luvuvhu River valley is also home to South Africa’s highest density of Pel’s fishing owls (Scotopelia peli). It is a central resource-rich node for the transboundary Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which supports shared populations of elephant and buffalo, among other species, with Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The wetlands are an important ecotourism asset with walking trails and birding associated with the pans and the Luvuvhu River floodplain.
Administrative region:
Limpopo Province
- Global international designation:
- UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
- Other global designation
- National legal designation:
- National Park - Kruger National Park
- Last publication date:19-09-2024
Downloads
Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)
Archived RIS
Additional reports and documents
- Taxonomic lists of plant and animal species occurring in the site
- Site management plan
- Other published literature