Pretoria: Temporary closure of Rietvlei Nature Reserve due to disruptive rains!

The City of Tshwane has announced the temporary closure of Rietvlei Nature Reserve due to flooding caused by persistent rainfall over the past few days. Roads within the reserve have become impassable, and most bridges are submerged, posing significant risks to vehicles and visitors.

Rietvlei Nature Reserve, located about 18 km southeast of Pretoria’s city center, encompasses the Rietvlei Dam and spans approximately 40 km². It is home to around 1,600 large mammals, including white rhinos, cheetahs, buffalo, hippos, zebras, and various antelope species such as eland, blesbok, and waterbuck. The reserve is also a paradise for birdwatchers, with over 400 recorded bird species, including the African fish eagle, secretarybird, and numerous cisticolas and larks.

Pretoria: Rietvlei Nature Reserve has introduced new operating hours!

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve, situated south east of Pretoria, has announced new operating hours. The Nature Reserve now operates daily between 07:00 and 18:00. Rietvlei Nature Reserve closes for the last visitor to enter at 16:00 to allow all visitors to make their way out of the Nature Reserve by 18:00. Visitors can only access the Nature Reserve through the main gate and all visitors entering the reserve will be screened for Covid-19 symptoms at the entrance. In line with the level three restrictions in South Africa, Rietvlei Nature Reserve's vehicle capacity is 100 vehicles per day, available on a first come, first served basis. All picnic spots, braai areas as well as the bird hides are closed to visitors. No alcohol is permitted in Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve surrounds and include the Rietvlei dam and is situated south east of Pretoria. The Nature Reserve covers an area of about 40km² and is home to a variety of different mammals including cheetah, leopard, bufallo, hippo, zebra and eland.

Pretoria: Rietvlei Nature Reserve introduced a male cheetah after a two year absence!

The Rietvlei Nature Reserve, situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria, has introduced a new male cheetah into its 3 800ha reserve after a two year absence in order to regulate the prey population in the reserve. The reserve was left without cheetah after the two male cheetah, which got reintroduced into Rietvlei in March 2003, died in 2012 and 2013 from old age. Rietvlei Game Reserve and the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) are currently also searching for a female cheetah to join the new male. This should happen by early 2015. Rietvlei Nature Reserve forms part of EWT's Cheetah Metapopulation Project.



Rietvlei Nature Reserve, owned and managed by the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is situated 18km from the centre of Pretoria and 38km from the OR Tambo International Airport. Located within the reserve is the Rietvlei Dam. The reserve is home to blesbuck, black wildebeest, red hartebeest, eland, Burchell's zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, springbuck, mountain reedbuck, steenbuck, grey duiker, as well as to cheetah, leopard, buffalo, hippopotamus and white rhino.