Game & Wildlife

Elandsberg was the first disease-free buffalo breeding project in the Western Cape. Now 14 years on, market demand remains high and with breeding protocols firmly in place, it is an industry leader with an established buffalo stud.

Eastern Cape game farmers have noticed that kudu bulls have become smaller, and they’re pleading for research to find out why.

The York family respect the people and the animals they work with and run their business on old-fashioned values. Barry York talks to Nan Smith about game farming and the golden wildebeest.

Wildlife managers need experience and ability to succeed in this exciting, growing business.

Diversification, expansion and partnership are the building blocks of a game farming business in the Northern Cape. Wintershoek’s Wiaan van der Linde WRSA’s Game Farmer of the year in 2012 talks to Susan Botes.

“The people whose livelihoods are dependent on the sustainable use of any living resource are those who are the most concerned about its proper management.” These are the opening words of wildlife management authority and author Ron Thomson’s keynote address at the first annual congress of the Wildlife Ranchers of South Africa (WRSA) at Castle de Wildt in Modimolle.

Jan Oelofse pioneered a game capture technique that transformed the practice of antelope capture.

The first game and hunting ranch owned and managed by the clan of the legendary Bushman Dawid Kruiper is open for business. Those with a love of pure hunting skills say the experience is unequalled. Heather Dugmore reports.

A number of high-value species and colour variants were traded during 2012, says Dr Cloete.

Sheep farming has long been the mainstay of the agricultural economy in the Karoo, but agricultural economists Dr Thula Dlamini and Prof Gavin Fraser say that springbok ranching offers a viable alternative to farmers, with environmental resource benefits. Lindi van Rooyen reports.

Every year, hundreds of wild animals are moved from SA’s national parks to other parks, reserves and game farms within the region. Game capture and translocation is a highly specialised field, as Dr Markus Hofmeyr, SANParks’ head of Veterinary Wildlife Services, told Peter Mashala.

With no previous farming experience but with a love of conservation and wildlife and a large dose of business and common sense, the Bhorat family has turned an undeveloped and overgrazed piece of land into a successful game farm in only four years. Denene Erasmus reports.