Empisini Nature Reserve was established in 1973Pooley, T. and Player, I. (1995). ''KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Destinations''. .Empisini Brochure: http://www.empisini.co.za/Brochure04.pdf , retrieved 28 March 2013. and is situated in Umkomaas,

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The reserve is approximately 60 ha in extentEnvironmental Planning & Climate Protection department of eThekwini. and is owned by the borough of uMkhomanzi which has been incorporated into the eThekwini municipality.eThekwini Ward Map: http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/engineering%20unit/Surveying_Land_Information/Documents/ETHEKWINI%20WARD%20MAP%20NEW%20BOUNDARIES.pdf, retrieved 9 April 2013. Empisini is managed jointly by eThekwini and the Umkomaas centre of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.KwaZulu-Natal Game Reserves: Empisini Nature Reserve, KwaZulu Natal: http://www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves/kzn_empisini.htm, retrieved 28 March 2013. Empisini takes its name from a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

stream which flows through it, and means "Place of the

Hyena Hyenas, or hyaenas (from Ancient Greek , ), are feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the Carnivora and one of the smallest in the clas ...

" in

isiZulu Zulu (), or isiZulu as an endonym, is a Southern Bantu language of the Nguni branch spoken in Southern Africa. It is the language of the Zulu people, with about 12 million native speakers, who primarily inhabit the province of KwaZulu-Natal of ...

.Empisini Nature Reserve: http://www.empisini.co.za/ , retrieved 28 March 2013. The reserve consists of coastal forest, wetlands, grassy slopes and a dam. Infrastructure consists of hiking trails, demarcated picnic sites, overnight cabins, and a tree house.

Wildlife

Mammals

Monkey Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...

, mongoose,

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 ident ...

bushbuck The Cape bushbuck (''Tragelaphus sylvaticus'') is a common and a widespread species of antelope in sub-Saharan Africa.Wronski T, Moodley Y. (2009)Bushbuck, harnessed antelope or both? ''Gnusletter'', 28(1):18-19. Bushbuck are found in a wide ra ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...

, bushpig and several species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

s.Zulu Kingdom: Empisini Nature Reserve: http://www.zulu.org.za/index.php?product+42098, retrieved 28 March 2013.

Birds

At least 201 species of birds have been recorded at EmpisiniAnimal Demography Unit: Birds in Reserves: Empisini N.R. :http://birp.adu.org.za/site_summary.php?site=30123046, retrieved 28 March 2013. including: African fish-eagle ('' Haliaeetus vocifer''), African crowned eagle (''

Stephanoaetus coronatus The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (''Stephanoaetus coronatus''), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa it is restricted to eastern areas.Sinclair & Ryan (2003 ...

''), Wahlberg's eagle (''

Aquila wahlbergi Wahlberg's eagle (''Hieraaetus wahlbergi'') is a bird of prey that is native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is a seasonal migrant in the woodlands and savannas. It is named after the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg. Like all eagles, it ...

''), black-chested snake-eagle ('' Circaetus pectoralis''), spur-winged goose (''

Plectropterus gambensis The spur-winged goose (''Plectropterus gambensis'') is a large bird in the family Anatidae, related to the geese and the shelducks, but distinct from both of these in a number of anatomical features, and therefore treated in its own subfamily, th ...

''), African black duck (''

Anas sparsa The African black duck (''Anas sparsa'') is a species of duck of the genus ''Anas''. It is genetically closest to the mallard group, but shows some peculiarities in its behavior and (as far as they can be discerned) plumage; it is accordingly p ...

''), tambourine dove (''

Turtur tympanistria 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 ...

''), emerald-spotted wood-dove (''

Turtur chalcospilos The emerald-spotted wood dove (''Turtur chalcospilos'') is a bird of the family Columbidae, resident across eastern and southern Africa. It is a species of open drier deciduous woodland and second growth. It is absent from evergreen rainforests a ...

''), lemon dove (''

Aplopelia larvata The lemon dove or cinnamon dove (''Columba larvata'') is a species of bird in the pigeon family Columbidae found in montane forests of sub-Saharan Africa. The São Tomé lemon dove is usually treated as a subspecies. The lemon dove has a generall ...

''), purple-crested turaco (''

Gallirex porphyreolophus The purple-crested turaco (''Gallirex porphyreolophus'') or, in South Africa, the purple-crested loerie, is a species of bird in the clade Turaco with an unresolved phylogenetic placement. Initial analyses placed the purple-crested turaco in the ...

''), Knysna turaco (''

Tauraco corythaix The Knysna turaco (''Tauraco corythaix''), or, in South Africa, Knysna loerie, is a large turaco, one of a group of African musophagidae birds. It is a resident breeder in the mature evergreen forests of southern and eastern South Africa, and Sw ...

''), green malkoha (''

Ceuthmochares aereus The blue malkoha or chattering yellowbill (''Ceuthmochares aereus'') is a species of cuckoo in the family Cuculidae. It was formerly conspecific with the green malkoha until split in 2016. It is widely distributed across the African tropical rai ...

''), African wood-owl (''

Strix woodfordii The African wood owl (''Strix woodfordii'') or Woodford's owl, is a typical owl from the genus '' Strix'' in the family Strigidae which is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Description The African wood owl is a medium-sized owl which has the typ ...

''), African palm-swift (''

Cypsiurus parvus The African palm swift (''Cypsiurus parvus'') is a small swift. It is very similar to the Asian palm swift, ''Cypsiurus balasiensis'', and was formerly considered to be the same species. The Malagasy palm swift was also recently split from this ...

''), Narina trogon (''

Apaloderma narina __NOTOC__ The Narina trogon (''Apaloderma narina'') is a largely green and red, medium-sized (32–34 cm long), bird of the family Trogonidae. It is native to forests and woodlands of the Afrotropics. Though it is the most widespread and cath ...

''), giant kingfisher ('' Megaceryle maximus''), African pygmy-kingfisher (''

Ispidina picta The African pygmy kingfisher (''Ispidina picta'') is a small insectivorous kingfisher found in the Afrotropics, mostly in woodland habitats. Taxonomy The African pygmy kingfisher was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte ...

''), trumpeter hornbill (''

Bycanistes bucinator The trumpeter hornbill (''Bycanistes bucinator'') is a medium-sized hornbill, with length between , characterized by a large grey casque on the bill, smaller in females. The eyes are brown or red, with pink surrounding skin. Body mass is between ...

''), olive woodpecker (''

Dendropicos griseocephalus The olive woodpecker (''Dendropicos griseocephalus'') is a species of bird in the woodpecker family Picidae. Taxonomy The olive woodpecker was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1780 in his ''Histoire Natu ...

''), red-throated wryneck ('' Jynx ruficollis''), spotted ground-thrush (''

Zoothera guttata 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 ar ...

''), mountain wagtail (''

Motacilla clara The mountain wagtail (''Motacilla clara''), also known as the long-tailed wagtail or grey-backed wagtail, is a species of wagtail of the family Motacillidae from sub-Saharan Africa. Description A slender, long tailed wagtail with light bluish gr ...

''), dark-backed weaver (''

Ploceus bicolor The dark-backed weaver (''Ploceus bicolor''), also known as the forest weaver, is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae. It is found in Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswa ...

''), magpie mannikin ('' Spermestes fringilloides''), red-backed mannikin ('' Spermestes bicolor''), green twinspot ('' Mandingoa nitidula'') and forest canary ('' Crithagra scotops'').

Butterflies

Among the butterflies recorded in EmpisiniAnimal Demography Unit: South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment: http://sabca.adu.org.za/, retrieved 9 April 2013. are: D'Urban's woolly legs ('' Lachnocnema durbani''), dark grass blue ('' Zizina otis antanossa''), white-tipped blue ('' Eicochrysops hippocrates''), Gaika blue ('' Zizula hylax''), common zebra blue (''

Leptotes pirithous ''Leptotes pirithous'', the Lang's short-tailed blue or common zebra blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. Description ''Leptotes pirithous'' is a small butterfly with a wingspan of 21–29 mm in males and 24–30 mm in female ...

''), Natal babul blue ('' Azanus natalensis''), brown pansy (''

Junonia natalica ''Junonia natalica'', the Natal pansy or brown pansy, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Afrotropical realm. The wingspan is 45–50 mm in males and 48–55 mm in females. The larvae feed on ''Asystasia gang ...

''), yellow pansy (''

Junonia hierta ''Junonia hierta'', the yellow pansy, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in the Palaeotropics. It is usually seen in open scrub and grassland habitats. Description The male upper side is bright yellow. The costa of the forewing has a br ...

''), Natal acraea (''

Acraea natalica ''Acraea natalica'', the Natal acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, which is native to East and southern Africa. Range It is found from KwaZulu-Natal to Zimbabwe and in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, southern DRC ( Katanga), Tanzania a ...

''), African veined white (''

Belenois gidica ''Belenois gidica'', the African veined white or pointed caper, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in the Afrotropical realm.Tagiades flesus''), Macken's dart (''

Acleros mackenii ''Acleros mackenii'', the Macken's skipper or Macken's dart, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Western, Eastern and Southern Africa. The wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance f ...

'') and common Hottentot ('' Gegenes niso'').

Trees

Trees include: cheesewood (''

Pittosporum viridiflorum ''Pittosporum viridiflorum'' (Cape cheesewood, af, Kasuur, st, Kgalagangwe, xh, Umkhwenkwe, zu, Umfusamvu) is a protected tree in South Africa. Morphology The leaves are obovate with margin entire and wavy, conspicuous net veining, crowded ...

''), false white stinkwood ('' Celtis gomphophylla'') and broad-leafed quince ('' Cryptocarya latifolia'').

References

{{coord missing, South Africa Protected areas of KwaZulu-Natal