Burman Bush is a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

in Morningside,

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, situated some 8 km north of the CBD. At about 50 hectares it constitutes a small circular enclave of coastal forest which forms part of the Durban Municipal Open Space System (D'MOSS). It is the northern remnant of a forest that once covered much of the Berea ridge. The reserve's elevation varies from 19 to 133 m a.s.l.

Trails

It contains three

walking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. T ...

s, the Pithi (500 m), Hadedah (1 km) and Forest olive (2 km) walks, that wind through the forest and allow visitors to see the various flora and fauna. A viewing platform at the outer walk's northern extremity allows sweeping views of the

Umgeni River The Umgeni River or Mgeni River ( zu, uMngeni) is a river in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It rises in the "Dargle" in the KZN Midlands, and its mouth is at Durban, some distance north of Durban's natural harbour. The name is taken to mean "the r ...

, from Connaught bridge to the Blue lagoon.

Fauna and flora

Reclusive species constitute much of the fauna. The reserve has Durban's largest population of

blue duiker The blue duiker (''Philantomba monticola'') is a small antelope found in central, southern and eastern Africa. It is the smallest duiker. The species was first described by Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg in 1789. 12 subspecies are i ...

, besides grey duiker, banded and

slender mongoose The common slender mongoose (''Herpestes sanguineus''), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa. Taxonomy The scientific name ''Herpestes sanguineus'' ...

porcupines Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...

and troops of

vervet monkey The vervet monkey (''Chlorocebus pygerythrus''), or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus''. The five distinct ...

s. Its birdlife, most evident during the early hours, may be best viewed from the central private road. It includes

tambourine dove The tambourine dove (''Turtur tympanistria'') is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in woodlands and other thick vegetation in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. Its range extends from Senegal east to Ethiopia and Kenya and sou ...

green wood hoopoe The green wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus purpureus'') is a large, up to long, near-passerine tropical bird native to Africa. It is a member of the family Phoeniculidae, the wood hoopoes, and was formerly known as the red-billed wood hoopoe. Descr ...

s, fork-tailed and

common square-tailed drongo The common square-tailed drongo (''Dicrurus ludwigii''), formerly the square-tailed drongo, is a passerine bird in the family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in parts of southern Africa. These insectivorous birds are usually found i ...

spotted ground thrush The spotted ground thrush (''Geokichla guttata'') is a species of bird in the family Turdidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and possibly Mozambique. Description These birds a ...

es (in winter),

red-capped robin-chat The red-capped robin-chat or Natal robin (''Cossypha natalensis'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the C ...

s, yellow-bellied greenbuls, yellow-breasted apalises, ashy and paradise flycatchers, grey sunbirds and southern tchagras. Among the forest trees that populate the reserve are the flat-crown, forest fever-berry, forest olive and

red beech Red beech is a common name applied to several species of trees: *'' Dillenia alata'', native to Northern Australia and New Guinea *'' Fuscospora fusca'', native to New Zealand *''Protorhus longifolia ''Protorhus longifolia'', the red beech, is ...

. Buckweed covers much of the forest floor.

Safety

Muggings were reported c.2013 and in 2018, and the ward councilor highlighted the need for repair of breaches in the reserve's fencing. Inspections of the reserve's fencing has started as of mid August 2018 by staff at the reserve as well as the ward councilor himself. Members of the South African Police Services including the local K9 unit have been given access keys to make random patrols on the roads in the reserve and have made an arrest in August 2018 as a result of increased Police activity in the area. On the afternoon of 31 August 2018 Simon Milliken, former Principal Double Bassist for the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, was stabbed while birdwatching with Perry So in the reserve. He died from his injuries overnight, and his body was found by a walker in the reserve the following day. The search by the

South African Police Service The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in ea ...

was allegedly delayed. This latest incident, which occurred a day after two walkers were robbed at gunpoint in the reserve, has led to calls by the ward councilor and local civic groups for the reserve to be temporarily closed.

Gallery

Image:Chlorocebus pygerythrus, Burmanbos Natuurreservaat.jpg, Image:Oncopeltus sp, Burmanbos.jpg, Image:Deinbollia oblongifolia, loof en vrugte, b, Burmanbos.jpg, Image:Maerua racemulosa, b, Burmanbos.jpg,

References

External links

Website providing an overview of Durban
{{Coord, 29, 49, 03, S, 31, 01, 01, E, display=title Nature reserves in South Africa Durban Tourist attractions in Durban Protected areas of KwaZulu-Natal