The rich and diverse Waterberg region offers an amazing variety of unspoilt habitats. Overall, more than 129 mammals, 350 birds and 2,000 plant species can be found within these habitats. The savanna areas of The Waterberg consist of rolling grasslands and a semi-deciduous forest with trees such as Mountain Syringa, Silver-leaf Terminalia sericea and Lavender tree. The canopy is mostly leafless during the dry winter. Native grasses include Signal grass, Goose grass and Heather-topped grass. Indigenous grasses help to support native species including impala, kudu, klipspringer and Blue wildebeest. Other mammals indigenous to the Waterberg region include giraffe, rhinoceros and warthog. The African Porcupine makes use of the region’s cavernous cliff habitats. The cliffs also provide a home for the Fever Tree which the bushmen believed had a special power to allow communication with the dead. Poisonous snakes including the deadly black mamba and spitting cobra are also found in The Waterberg. The area’s birdlife is predominantly to be found in and around the region’s many rivers and wetlands. The riverine areas are also home to the Nile crocodile and hippopotamus. As if all this wasn’t already enough, Welgevonden Reserve’s big mammal population, the Big 5 are in abundance as well as cheetah, brown hyena, honey badger and a whole lot more.