Makalali Private Game Reserve and Makalali Private Nature Reserve’s on-site buffalo breeding programme has culminated in 52 indigenous African buffalo being released.
The conservation effort came as the result of collaboration between conservation experts, aha Makalali Private Game Lodge and the Greater Makalali Game Reserve.
The African buffalo was almost driven to extinction throughout southern Africa by the Rinderpest epidemic in the late 1800s, but conservation efforts and the buffaloes’ natural resilience have brought them back to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The African buffalo can carry foot-and-mouth disease, Corridor disease, and a new threat with widespread implications has now surfaced. In recent years, Bovine Tuberculosis (BTB) has affected a large number of buffaloes in the Greater Kruger system.
Because of the prevalence of BTB, breeding disease-free buffalo became imperative, and a disease-free breeding project began more than a decade ago in the 400-hectare Buffalo Camp within the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve.
As a result, isolated breeding pockets outside the Kruger Park system and associated areas were established, to ensure the disease was eliminated. These pockets are outside the demarcated ‘Red Area’.
On June 22, the fences around Buffalo Camp came down and the animals were herded out of the Red Area by helicopter.
Gary Elmes, Chairman of the Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve, said: “Releasing these magnificent beasts into the reserve is another great effort by an amazing team of people to strengthen and protect the indigenous buffalo population that we’d like future generations to see in their natural environment. I’m proud to have been here when the first animals arrived and now, 12 years later, to set 52 buffaloes free to roam.”
The uffalo breeding effort is part of a greater game reintroduction programme for endangered species and species previously extinct to the area. So far, elephants, Spotted hyenas, hippos, cheetahs, White rhinos and, most recently, African Wild Dogs, have been relocated on to the 25 000-hectare property.
Over the last 10 years, a number of small species have also been released, including African wild cats, pangolins, caracals, Cape clawless otters, Spotted genets, Bush babies and Leopard tortoises.
Aha Makalali Main Lodge is a wildlife-centric retreat in the north-eastern Lowveld. This newly built five-star lodge has 30 Superior Rooms each with its own en-suite bathroom and indoor and outdoor showers.
Aha Makalali River Lodge comprises three camps that each have six luxury suites. All the camps are private but within easy access of one another. They feature a plunge pool and an enclosed dining and lounge area.
