Ohlanga River
Encyclopedia
The Ohlanga River is a river in KwaZulu-Natal
, South Africa
, which empties into the Indian Ocean
just north of Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal
, north of Durban
. The name comes from the Zulu
word for "reed" , and has extensive reed beds at its mouth . The river has also been called the Umhlanga or Mhlanga River in the past.
(the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve) , and a waste treatment works which is publicly accessible . This area contains bushbuck
, blue and grey duiker
, and numerous birds, including the southernmost occurrence of crested guineafowl
.
, the celebrity hippopotamus, stopped at the river on her way down the coast from the St. Lucia Estuary to the Eastern Cape
. An attempt was made to capture her while she was there.
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which empties into the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
just north of Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal
Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal
Umhlanga is a residential, commercial and resort town north of Durban on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is part of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, created in 2000, which includes the greater Durban area...
, north of Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. The name comes from the Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
word for "reed" , and has extensive reed beds at its mouth . The river has also been called the Umhlanga or Mhlanga River in the past.
Umhlanga Conservancy
At the river's mouth, there is a lagoon, surrounded by the Umhlanga Conservancy. This area includes a 26 hectare nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
(the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve) , and a waste treatment works which is publicly accessible . This area contains bushbuck
Bushbuck
The bushbuck is the most widespread antelope in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is found in rain forests, montane forests, forest-savanna mosaics and bush savannaforest and woodland. Recently, genetic studies have shown that the bushbuck, is in fact a complex of two geographically and phenotypically...
, blue and grey duiker
Duiker
A duiker is any of about 21 small to medium-sized antelope species from the subfamily Cephalophinae native to Sub-Saharan Africa.Duikers are shy and elusive creatures with a fondness for dense cover; most are forest dwellers and even the species living in more open areas are quick to disappear...
, and numerous birds, including the southernmost occurrence of crested guineafowl
Crested Guineafowl
The Crested Guineafowl is a member of the Numididae, the guineafowl bird family. It is found in open forest, woodland and forest-savanna mosaics in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a total length of approximately 50 cm and weighs . The plumage is overall blackish with dense white spots...
.
Huberta, the hippopotamus
HubertaHuberta, the hippopotamus
Huberta was a hippopotamus and one of the most famous animals in South African history.In November 1928 Huberta left her waterhole in the St. Lucia Estuary in Zululand and set off on the 1600 km journey to the Eastern Cape, a journey which would take her three years. In that time Huberta...
, the celebrity hippopotamus, stopped at the river on her way down the coast from the St. Lucia Estuary to the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
. An attempt was made to capture her while she was there.