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Need another reminder that we live in a beautiful part of the world? Sure – Cape Town is the most biodiverse urban area in the world.

That’s according to Thomas Elmqvist, the leader of the UN’s City and Biodiversity Outlook Project, who is an expert in natural resource management and urban landscapes.

Yesterday saw the results of that project made public, and it was the Mother City that came out tops. The Guardian reports:

The Western Cape, where Cape Town is located, contains 50% of all mammal species in South Africa. Baboons, ostriches and zebras, live in Table Mountain National Park, while whales, seals and otters swim off its shores.

The stability of Cape Town’s climate on the southern tip of Africa has enabled it to become home to approximately 3,000 species of plants, 361 species of birds and 83 species of mammals.

It is a sad reality that this biodiversity is under threat: as its human population has increased by more than 30% since 2011, 318 types of plants, 22 types of birds and 24 types of animals are in danger of extinction. But Cape Town is taking a variety of measures to protect and preserve this incredible natural asset.

According to Times LIVE, we were run close by the likes of Sao Paulo and Mexico City:

Sao Paulo perches between Brazil’s great Atlantic rainforest and the tropical savannah of the Cerrado – two highly rich biomes.

Mexico City contains 2% of the world’s species within its city limits.

Sorry guys, better luck next time.

If you needed further impetus to get out and about this weekend, that should do the trick.

[sources:guardian&timeslive]

[imagesource:cameronb/flickr]