Game Swap Introduces New Wildlife to Selborne

The verdant Selborne Park Golf Estate welcomed three resident bushbuck to its protected habitat these past few weeks.

Bushbuck at Selborne

“In a captive environment where natural migration can’t necessarily take place, it’s important to swap the wildlife to ensure that fresh bloodlines are introduced,” explained Selborne Head of Security, Environment and Gardens, Brett Wortmann.

The Selborne team embarked on a programme to introduce genetically dissimilar bushbuck onto the estate while swapping out a number of its own wildlife, which have been introduced to another estate.

“We contacted Shemungwe Game Capture who does a lot of work with Ballito’s Zimbali Estate,” said Wortmann. “We wanted to exchange animals that are from similar environments so that they are habituated to human activity and golf courses.”

Eight bushbuck were taken from Selborne and replaced by three – two from Zimbali and one from a nearby open bush – with the difference in number offsetting the costs involved in darting and transporting the animals.

The number of animals also has to be carefully matched to the size of the nature reserve to ensure sufficient food, particularly over the winter period.

“We decided on two males and one female as this would mean a double blend. The new males would cover the existing females and the existing males would cover the new female, spreading the gene pool.

Getting one bushbuck from another area widens the gene pool even further,” said Wortmann.

Although there are no signs of inbreeding, Wortmann said it is better to perform game swaps on a fairly regular basis.

There are about 28 adult bushbuck at Selborne Park Golf Estate as well as several blue and grey duiker, genets, vervet monkeys, banded mongooses and about 180 species of birds that inhabit the estate and adjacent coastal forest.

All the wildlife and plant species are protected by a strictly controlled Environmental Management Plan, which follows programmes such as the eradication of alien invasive plant species.

Sven Bruss, owner of Shemungwe Game Capture, said the animals relocated to Selborne were doing well. “All the animals are tagged and monitored to ensure that they’re settling in. We also do this so that these animals aren’t relocated in another game swap.”

The animals were released in close proximity to where the previous bushbuck had been residing. Bruss said the method of capturing and releasing the animals was quick so as not to distress them and everything had gone well with this game swap. The newly introduced buck are now enjoying the indigenous foliage provided by the lush coastal forest, home to a number of plant and animal species.

Selborne Park Golf Estate boasts one of only two private coastal forests in South Africa.