BLOEMFONTEIN – A groundbreaking programme was launched at the Amanzi Private Game Reserve near Winnie Mandela (Brandfort) in the Free State that will give a huge boost to the international research on giraffes.
With this step, the University of the Free State (UFS) is taking wildlife research to new heights.
At the launch on Wednesday 29 October at the reserve outside Brandfort, a first-of-its-kind, dedicated Giraffe Research Programme was introduced. This will be dedicated to the advancement of international scientific collaboration in the study and conservation of giraffes.
The launch marks the next phase in a research journey that has already placed the UFS at the forefront of giraffe science and research excellence. Over the past decade, a team of researchers, led by Prof. Francois Deacon of the Department of Animal Science, has made significant contributions to understanding giraffe behaviour, physiology and ecology.
Despite their towering presence on the African continent, giraffes are quietly disappearing. Today, fewer than 100 000 remain in the wild – a sobering reminder that their future is far from secure and that research excellence like this is key to ensure their survival.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as vulnerable, with populations declining by more than 40% over the past three decades.
This new infrastructure at the Amanzi Private Game Reserve combines on-site research laboratories with spacious, stress-free habitats. In this hands-on environment, veterinarians, scientists and students can work closely with giraffes.
Over the past seven years, Deacon’s team has conducted 254 successful sedations and captures, carefully building the expertise needed for the next delicate step: the first embryo transfer in wild giraffes.
PHOTO: Lientjie Mentz
Deacon explained the need to provide a safe and controlled environment for research. In an encampment that was built at the main building of Amanzi, researchers hope make huge strides in the preservation of giraffe.
“The facility will provide a safe and controlled environment where the world’s first giraffe embryo (in this environment) can develop and grow, and where we can collaborate to produce the science needed to turn the extinction of the giraffe around,” he said.
The general public may not see the results immediately, but 20 years from now, what we are doing today will be vital in creating a biobank of viable giraffe embryos and calves that can be used in surrogate animals, supporting sustainable conservation practices for future generations.
– Prof. Francois Deacon
The programme is not only a testimony of academic and private collaboration, it goes much further. About 12 departments at the UFS are already involved in the research project in one way or another. This includes researchers from the Department of Animal Science to the Departments of Zoology and Entomology, as well as Chemistry – and even Information and Communication and Technology Services, which contributes to 3D-modelling, software and monitoring of the animals.
The project also offers opportunities for collaboration with conservation organisations and universities worldwide, positioning the UFS as a leading hub for giraffe and large-mammal research in Africa. Current partners who share Deacon’s vision for giraffe conservation on the African continent include Save the Giraffes (a US-based NGO), Absolute Genetics, Ramsem and the Kroonstad Animal Hospital.
Deacon explained that the encampment at Amanzi would not only offer a wide range of opportunities for research, but also bring giraffes close to visitors to the game reserve. A deck was built that takes visitors above the encampment where it is hoped the giraffes will be tame enough for visitors to engage with them from close up. It is reminiscent of the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi, Kenya where visitors can feed the animals.
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