Mafunyane is a 1,700 ha (4,250 acres) Game Farm situated in the Northern Province Lowveld in South Africa. Earlier this year the fences between the farm and its neighbors have been dropped, thus creating an indigenous bushveld area, called Karongwe Conservancy. A multitude of game is roaming free there, such as giraffe, waterbuck, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, red hartebeest, impala, nyala, bushbuck, steenbok, duiker, warthog and of course Vervet monkeys and baboons, to name just the larger ones. The Big Dam situated in the center of Mafunyane is home to 5 hippos and 4 crocodiles.

This reserve with a total area of 8,500 ha (21,250 acres) is now large enough to accommodate large game, and since the middle of this year three of the 'big five' have so far been re-introduced, namely: 5 elephants, 2 male and 2 female lions and 2 male white rhinos. Several leopards have been living on the farm already. We are currently in the process of establishing a 'clean buffalo' breeding program which should start next year. Most buffalo in the northeastern part of the country are carriers of foot- and mouth disease and cattle tuberculosis. We will start with a disease-free herd under quarantine conditions - a very long-term project but well worth it in the long run! A male and a female cheetah have also been flown in from Namibia this year and have since been released - but more about these two later!

Maddy