Climate

Rare Southern African succulent listed as critically endangered amid mining threat

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 05/10/2026, 09:09:24 UTC.

Briefings

The brown clockfig (Cheiridopsis brownii) was assessed as critically endangered by the IUCN in October 2026 due to habitat loss from overgrazing and mining threats in the western Gariep Valley. The species occupies only 60 km2 within a 424 km2 range, with severe desertification from overgrazing and unrehabilitated mines threatening the remaining population. Pieter van Wyk, a SANParks botanist, confirmed the assessment during an email interview. Coverage is limited to the specific western Gariep Valley and the broader Richtersveld region, with no data on other Namibian or South African locations.

Key points

• The brown clockfig (Cheiridopsis brownii) was assessed as critically endangered by the IUCN in October 2026 due to habitat loss from overgrazing and mining threats in the western Gariep Valley.
• The species occupies only 60 km2 within a 424 km2 range, with severe desertification from overgrazing and unrehabilitated mines threatening the remaining population in the Richtersveld region.

Context and limitations

Coverage is limited to the specific western Gariep Valley and the broader Richtersveld region, with no data on other Namibian or South African locations.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 05/10/2026, 09:10:44 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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