CAPE TOWN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Cape Town municipality of South Africa has announced that 18 nature reserves and conservation areas in the biodiverse city will open up to members of the public for free for four days to encourage them to explore nature and participate in an international biodiversity competition.

In matching with the period of the City Nature Challenge competition's first part for pictures-taking of wild plants and animals, all the 16 natures reserves managed by the city, as well as major tourism attractions Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden and Cape Point Concession, will be open to the public free of charge between April 30 and May 3.

The organizers of the competition will also offer various free nature reserve guided walks for participants.

"Now it's time to prove that Cape Town is one of the most biodiverse cities on the planet," the city's Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt, appealed to residents in a statement, adding that it is also a perfect opportunity for outdoor family gatherings while exploring natural spaces in the city.

The competition of City Nature Challenge motivates people around the world to find and document wildlife in their cities and has drawn various cities across the world to compete. In 2019, Cape Town won two categories in the competition with the most recorded observations and most recorded species.

Located in the Cape Floristic Region, one of the six floral kingdoms in the world, Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, has 19 veld types, including six types that are only found in the city. Among them, 10 veld types are critically endangered, equivalent to 53 percent of all the critically endangered veld types in the country. Its iconic Table Mountain is a biodiversity hotspot. Enditem

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