Mount Anderson Video

The spectacular habitats of Mount Anderson support a wide variety of plant and animal species. At the higher altitudes, water oozes from sponges or from between rock fissures creating marshes. There are also beautiful kloofs, which are home to some splendid patches of indigenous forest. These are fortunately still intact and here one finds some magnificent trees.

In early summer the bright red flowers of Greyia sutherlandii are prolific, while birds - such as the Cape white-eye - are attracted to the tubular reddish flowers on the main stems of the Tree Fuchscia, Halleria lucida. Ilex mitis, the Cape Holly, is common, as are two species of the fragrant Buddleja, and the Parsley Tree (Heteromorpha arborescens) which has a characteristically peeling bark. The yellow flowers of St John's Wort (Hypericum aethiopicum) add a touch of brightness to the scene almost all year round. Another magnificent tree found along the streams is the Wild Gardenia, Rothmannia capensis. It has large, white waxy flowers with small purple dots, which have a wonderful fragrance and are replaced by a large, round, hard fruit - rather like a Christmas bauble. Ferns and mosses of all kinds are prolific and grow well where the water splashes against the rocks and provides them with continuous dampness. The largest fern to be found is the Tree Fern (Cyathea dregei) and there are marvellous specimens on Mount Anderson Ranch.

On the stream banks one often sees the glorious red flowers of the Crimson Flag (Schyzostylis coccinea) in late summer. The contrast of the vivid red against the brown and cream of the rocks and water is truly gorgeous. Above dangle the stems of the indigenous willow, Salix mucronata. Secretive creatures use the streams: the Vlei Rat, the Water Mongoose and both Otter species are found in the district. The main prey of the secretive Water Mongoose is crab, and skeletons of crabs in little middens are usually the only evidence of mongoose presence. The most common frog is the Common Rana (Rana angolensis).

Over the cliff faces, the Hanging Aloe, (Aloe mutabilis) flowers in May. This habitat is also the hideaway of the numerous baboons on the property. On the high cliffs of Kranskloof near the gold mining excavations and overlooking the Ohrigstad Dam lives a breeding colony of the rare Cape vulture, Gyps coprotheres, whose numbers have declined dangerously in recent decades. Vultures nest in colonies and when the air has warmed and starts to rise, the birds launch themselves into thermals on their broad wings. They spiral upwards for 500m or more from where they glide effortlessly away for up to 100km in search of carrion. The main contributory factor in their decline has been the reduction of naturally available food and an unnaturally high mortality rate from poisoning or shooting by farmers who believe, incorrectly, that the birds prey on livestock.

A walk along the grassland slopes is very rewarding to lovers of birds and wild flowers. The grassland is undisturbed with a predominance of the palatable Rooigras (Themeda triandra). It is on the upper grassland slopes that one may see herds of grey rhebuck and mountain reedbuck which sneeze to warn each other of your approach. Jackal trot away at the landrover's approach. Mount Anderson Ranch has been stocked with black wildebeest, zebra, eland and blesbuck.

In summer the beautiful greeny-blue Malachite Sunbirds abound as do the uncommon Gurney's Sugarbird. Both species visit the Protea trees and the aloes for nectar and are a magnificent sight while they do so. Raptors can frequently be seen circling the sky, as can swallows and swifts. Rustling among the long grass are francolins, including the unusual greywing and redwing species.

There are two protea species, the Common Sugarbush (Protea caffra) and the Transvaal Silverleaf (Protea roupelliae), both of which have large pink flowers. Wild flowers are abundant in the grassland. In summer the dainty Pelargonium luridum with its large indented leaves is prolific, as are many species of daisy. The bright pink flowers of Nerine angustifolia are a stunning sight, especially when they are seen close to the bright blue of Agapanthus inapertus. Gladiolus, such as Gladiolus crassifolius and Gladiolus elliotti are also fairly abundant. Less obvious are the rare Streptocarpus dunni, usually tucked away at the side of a boulder at the cliff face mining site. This gloxinia-like plant has one huge leaf that grows continuously, and after flowering the whole plant dies. The flower is a reddish-brown large spike. Wild orchids are also fairly difficult to spot but their delicate and complicated flowers reward careful looking.

The large quartzite crystals are home to various succulents. The tiny Mesembryanthemum is only evident when it puts out its brilliant pink flowers, but one cannot miss Kalanchoe thyrsiflora when, in late summer, a large flower rises from the succulent basal leaves. In late summer the bright pink flowers of the little Craterostigma wilmsii which rise from a basal rosette are common. The damp climate encourages the growth of lichen of many colours. These interesting organisms are a symbiotic association between algae, which form the outer layer, and fungus. Fungus breaks down the rock substrate and algae transforms this into nutrients for both plant forms by mean of photosynthesis. In this way they are important contributors to the creation of soil from the solid quartzite.

On Mount Anderson Ranch are a few outcrops of diabase - the volcanic rock which intruded to the surface when the Bushveld Complex was formed some 2 000 million years ago. These rocky outcrops often consist of large boulders nestling against each other and in these cracks and crevices lizards, like the Striped Skink (Mabuya striata), hide and then dart about on the rocks.

Trees which force their way among the rocks are the Cabbage Tree or Kiepersol, Cussonia paniculata, which has large, grey leaves atop a single stem - much like a cabbage or umbrella. Olinia emarginata, Transvaal Hardepeer, also likes the rocky habitat. It is identified by the red petioles to its leaves and has clusters of delicately fragrant pinkish-white flowers in early summer.

Pineapple Flowers, (Eucomis autumnalis), flourish among the rocks or close to them. The flowers resemble a soft, greenish pineapple. Tritonia nelsonii has an orange spathe of flowers, while the Royal Paintbrush, Scadoxus magnificus is brilliant in early summer. Here the bright pink flowers of Watsonia densiflora flourish. A dryland fern called Hard Fern (Pellaea calomelanos) is common in this environment. It almost always grows at the base of boulders and is very common where diabase sills are exposed. The blue-green leaves are displayed in a firm fan along black stems and in summer the undersides are encrusted with spores around the edges.

The great value of Mount Anderson as an exceptional environment in South Africa lies in the high altitude sponges or bogs from which the clear streams rise. These marshes harbour shrews and moles and are popular habitats for frogs, including Common Toads (Bufo gutturalis). Dragonflies are invariably about on warm days, when at rest their wings in a forward position. Damselflies also occur, more sedentary than dragonflies and remaining stationary on reeds for long periods with wings folded back along the length of their body.

The vegetation growing where the water oozes from the ground is adapted to live in permanent wetland. Gunnera perpensa is well named the River Pumpkin, for its large leaves look remarkably like those of the vegetable. This is an obvious plant of the marshland because of its big leaves and its flower - a metre high infloresence of closely packed green flowers. Another common flower of the marshes is Teasel or Blue Boys (Pycnostachys reticulata), a small shrub about a metre high with numerous spiny infloresences of blue shoe-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer.

The moist soil is where the Butterfly Lobelia (Monopsis decipiens) also grows, sometimes in such profusion that the ground appears to be under a blue haze. On inspection each flower is an attractive combination of blue, yellow and mauve, supported by a fragile stem. Also bright blue is another Lobelia, Lobelia flaccida, the petals of the lower lip of which are much larger than the upper.

The dominant greenery of the wetlands consists of sedges, grass-like plants with characteristic inflorescent crowns on tall straight stems, which are triangular in cross-section. One of them, the Canary Sedge, Cyperus obtusiflorus, has a bright yellow crown, which is easy to spot. Along the stream banks the Dainty Harebell, Dierama pendulum, is encountered, often among grassy reed-like plants such as Sium repandum and Berula erecta.

As far as the important indigenous trees are concerned, the Diospyros whyteana can be recognized by its glossy leaves and inflated seedpods, and Leucosidea sericea by its ancient-looking bark. Its popular name is Oudehout (Oldwood) for this reason. There are several Rhus species too, all of them with characteristic trifoliate leaves and fruit which resembles small grapes. One may also see the climber Rhoiscissus digitata, which is particularly attractive when its leaves turn red in autumn. Wild asparagus and some daisy species (Senecio) are also able to survive here.

There is temperate grassland on the farm Goedverwacht which also supports a great variety of wild flowers. Of particular interest is Elephantorrhiza elephantina, the Elephant's Root, which resembles a dwarf Acacia, with small compound leaves and creamy-yellow spikes of flowers on the ground. Also yellow is Corchorus asplenifolius the compound leaves of which hug the ground. More delicate flowers are the yellow trumpets of Sebaea grandis, the dainty pink Cat's Whiskers, Becium obovatum, and the tiny long flowers of Silene. The flowers of the Tumbleweed or Ground Lily, Ammocharis coranica, are unmistakable. The spectacular football-sized globe of pink flowers grows from short spade-like leaves, which are close to the ground. When the flower dies, the flower-head remains as a dry sphere of radiating stalks, each terminating in an open seed chamber. This extraordinary structure is driven by the wind, distributing seeds as it tumbles over the veld.

Mount Anderson Ranch has been re-stocked with a number of species of game that formerly occurred in substantial numbers before commercial hunters brought destruction to the wildlife herds of southern Africa in the nineteenth century. Because of its remote location, the Mount Anderson district was once home to some of the last specimens of big game. Some of the farm names in the vicinity bear testimony to the sad demise of the wildlife frontier. Olifantsgeraamte - the elephant's skeleton - south-east of Mount Anderson Ranch is reputed to have been where the last elephant in the district was shot, while the neighbouring farm Rhenosterhoek is supposed to have been where Petrus Coetzer
shot the last rhinoceros in the 1870's.