title: Kloofendal Nature Reserve
text: # Kloofendal Nature Reserve
  
  Kloofendal Nature Reserve is a municipal nature reserve in Roodepoort, South Africa. It is one of the first nature reserves in Johannesburg. It is also recognized as the place where gold was first mined in Johannesburg. The old gold mine can be visited by appointment. There are hiking trails and a small dam.
  
  ## Small animals in the reserve
  
  Many small mammals are found at Kloofendal, including:
  
  * Duiker
  * Mountain reedbuck
  * Rock hyrax
  * Mongoose
  * Southern African hedgehog
  * Black-backed jackal
  * Blesmol
  
  ## Birds
  
  Kloofendal is home to many species of birds and in particular:
  
  * Black sparrowhawk
  * Wailing cisticola
  
  ## History of the gold mine
  
  The Confidence Reef was discovered by the brothers Fred and Harry Struben on 18 September 1884. This led to an influx of prospectors to the Witwatersrand, culminating in the discovery of the Main gold reef in 1886. The first payable gold on the Rand was extracted by the Strubens on this site but the Confidence reef bore little gold and their mine was unprofitable. The mine was declared a National Monument on 29 July 1983.
  
  