Small increase in wildebeest numbers in Sabi Sands

The recent annual census in the Sabi Sand Wildtuin has revealed that wildebeest numbers in the reserve are slowly increasing, with numbers going up from 224 last year to 293 this year.

As the increase in numbers does not yet meet the reserve’s goals of boosting the wildebeest numbers to over 500, Sabi Sand ecologist Jonathan Swart says that they will go ahead with plans to reintroduce another 600 wildebeest this year. Since 2003 the Sabi Sand Wildtuin has reintroduced almost 1,800 wildebeest into the reserve in an attempt to revive the population, which dropped from around 600 wildebeest in the 1990s to a mere 75 in 2003.

The reserve exchanges some of its excess white rhino for the wildebeest, and Swart says that if they wish to achieve their original goals they will have to continue introducing wildebeest for a few more years. Wildebeest numbers have also fallen in other private nature reserves adjoining Kruger over the last decade. Over the last year the Kruger National Park recorded a decline in wildebeest numbers from 12,018 to 8,122.