trees to survive. Indigenous trees that can tolerate Memel's cold winters are the sage tree (Buddleija salvifolia), Kareeboom (Rhus lanceolata) and oldwood (ouhout in Afrikaans). Fauna (excluding farm stock) is seldom seen during the day, being largely nocturnal and including numerous species of buck as well as meerkats, aardvark, aardwolf, three species of medium-sized cats, porcupine, hare, mongooses and rarely leopard. The avifauna is plentiful and world-renowned. Climate Memel's climate is extremely variable. Mainly due to its altitude, Memel experiences cool to warm, moist summers and cold, dry winters. Frost is an almost daily occurrence between May and July with sometimes being recorded. A temperature of has been recorded on occasion. The weather is something of a joke amongst Memel's townsfolk, many people feeling their town has been forgotten by the South African Weather Service which continually reports the town of Sutherland in the Northern Cape as being the coldest place in the country. Memel's thermometers often record lower temperatures than Sutherland. Strong prairie winds blow from the west during August and September and the first rains of summer can arrive from any direction anytime between September and December. Climatically speaking, Memel-Zamani is at its most predictable between January and April when the days are usually warm with regular thunderstorms. Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve Seekoei-vlei Nature Reserve, a massive wetland spanning some 30 km², lies to the north of the town and was declared a Ramsar site in 1999. It houses more than 250 species of birds, and the town is now a popular destination for bird enthusiasts. In the early 1990s, Birdlife South Africa identified the town of Wakkerstroom as the most important birding area in South Africa and located its field headquarters there. Some years later it became known that every bird species occurring there also occurs in Memel. Seekoeivlei is also home to some re-introduced hippopotamus, Seekoei being the Afrikaans translation for "hippo". The word "vlei" meaning wetland. Hippopotami were originally found in the wetland many years ago but were shot out and their habitat destroyed by large scale drainage for agriculture. Thus their successful re-introduction is regarded as a significant success. Tourist accommodation in the reserve was, for many years, dogged by the disappearance of funds which national government allocated for this purpose. however the tourist chalets have finally opened. Early in the 20th-century farmers built numerous drainage canals to create arable farming land in the wetland.