By Boitumelo Shuping:
A world-first Giraffe Research Centre has officially been launched at Amanzi Private Game Reserve in Brandfort, Free State, marking a historic moment for wildlife conservation and reproductive science.
The centre, led by Professor Francois Deacon, a habitat ecology expert at the University of the Free State (UFS), pioneers advanced reproductive and behavioural studies on wild giraffes.
A unique place for this project
The 6,500-hectare Amanzi Private Game Reserve was chosen for its unique capacity to host extensive wildlife studies and accommodate international collaborations.
“If you get to know the people at Amanzi, you would not want to do it at a different place,” said Professor Deacon, who leads the initiative.
“They make it easy for us to do research. It is a great place to host international people, the facilities are unmatched, and you can’t do this kind of work on a small game farm.”
Education is part of the work
The Giraffe Research Centre will not only serve as a hub for scientific discovery but also for education and conservation awareness.
“Research is one thing, but education is a big part of this,” Professor Deacon explained. “We want school groups, young minds, kids to come and see this, to feed a giraffe, to learn through touch and interaction. It’s about inspiring the next generation while driving serious conservation.”
Ground-breaking reprodictive studies
At the core of the centre’s work are groundbreaking reproductive studies, including artificial insemination and embryo transfer in giraffes. These are techniques never before attempted on such a scale with wild animals.
“It is absolutely the first in the world,” Professor Deacon confirmed. “What we do with sheep and cattle, we now repeat with giraffes because we have the skills, expertise, and smart people to make it happen.”
Aiming to stop giraffe extinction
Supporting this pioneering effort is Dr Ayanda Maqhashu, a senior lecturer in animal physiology at UFS specialising in reproductive physiology. Her work focuses on preserving genetic diversity and combating the silent extinction of giraffes across Africa.
“Let us protect these animals,” said Dr Maqhashu. “Across Africa, giraffes once roamed in 22 countries, now it’s only eight, and their populations are in the thousands, not millions. We must be proactive with conservation because I want my great-great-grandchildren to know that giraffes are not myths or fossils; they are real, living beings.”
Dr Maqhashu added that the team has successfully completed over 250 giraffe captures as part of the research process, refining their techniques to ensure safety and precision. “Our challenge now is to bring in new genetic material to strengthen bloodlines,” she explained. “In-breeding leads to poor reproductive health, and we want superior genetics to sustain the species.”
The only centre of its kind in Africa
The centre’s laboratory, located within Amanzi Private Game Reserve, is equipped with Africa’s first sperm-sexing machine, allowing scientists to produce male or female offspring selectively, a vital advancement for population management.
“It is the only one on the continent,” Dr Maqhashu said. “We are proud, but we also want to keep improving, to be able to collect, process, and preserve genetic samples right here in Amanzi.”
Transforming wildlife science
With plans to host international postgraduate students and serve as an educational hub for local schools, the Amanzi Giraffe Research Centre is set to transform wildlife science in Africa and redefine how the world views giraffe conservation.
As Professor Deacon concluded, “This is where conservation meets education. What we do here, you won’t find anywhere else in the world.” – @NewsSA_Online
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