With the Big 5 area now being 7,000 hectares combined with the adjacent breeding area of some 2,000 hectares, Lalibela commissioned experts in the field of game management in order to determine what the ideal numbers of game should be, based on the combined carrying capacity of the 5 vegetation types found on Lalibela.

Lalibela is unique in the Eastern Cape in that it is blessed with substantial areas of savannah grassland, the vegetation type with the highest carrying capacity. Taking this, and other factors, into account, there have been purchases of game as well as movement of some game from the Big 5 area into the new breeding area.

19 Cape buffalo have been purchased as well as 200 black wildebeest, 42 zebra and 20 kudu (with more to come). These have been introduced into the Big 5 area. Giraffe have been purchased and introduced into the breeding area and surplus hartebeest, springbok and eland have been relocated from the Big 5 area to the breeding area.

“This is an on-going process and we have a while still to go with more game purchases in the pipeline, but we have a plan and a vision that we are working towards” said Rob Gradwell, MD of Lalibela. “The conservation vision that we have is having the flora and fauna at Lalibela in equilibrium with itself – a bye-product of achieving this is an enhanced visitor experience.”

For more info contact Vernon on +27 (0)41 581 8170 or email stay@lalibela.co.za or visit www.lalibela.net

URL: http://www.lalibela.net/wildlife-experience/more-land-area-more-game-purchases.htm