Meerkat National Park lies in the Karoo Hoogland and Kareeberg municipal areas of South Africa's Northern Cape and was declared on 27 March 2020, covering about 1,352 square kilometers. The land was acquired in 2017 by the National Research Foundation and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory to host the Square Kilometre Array project, and the park now encompasses the MeerKAT, PAPER, and HERA radio telescopes alongside its conservation role. Set in the Nama Karoo biome, it protects quiver tree forests and threatened species and has recorded between roughly 215 and 264 bird species, 29 mammal species, and 29 reptile and amphibian species. Land rehabilitation since designation has removed livestock, fences, and invasive mesquite, and public access is limited to preselected days to protect the radio quiet environment.
Facts
Designation Category Established Year Area (sq km) Classification
Governance TypeGovernance by Government 1 Governing Body
Governing Body (category)South African National Parks 1 Sources
1. Meerkat National Park (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation- Infobox, area (converted to square kilometres where the infobox gives another unit)
Infobox: designated
27 March 2020
Infobox: administrator
South African National Parks
Wikipedia lead extract, realm terrestrial
Meerkat National Park is a large National Park in the Northern Cape, South Africa, that encompasses the Square Kilometre Array's MeerKAT, PAPER and HERA telescopes.
View the Source 2. Wikidata: Meerkat National Park
- Wikidata Q112108387, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Wikidata Q112108387 P31 instance-of
- Part Of: South Africa, Wikidata item, property P17 (country)
View the SourceWikidata: South Africa
On Continent: Africa, Wikidata item for South Africa, property P30 (continent)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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