Meerkat National Park

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.