A newly launched wildlife research hub in South Africa is drawing international attention. The University of the Free State (UFS) has opened a first-of-its-kind giraffe research facility at the Amanzi Private Game Reserve near Brandfort — a major step in global efforts to protect the world’s tallest land mammal.
The centre builds on more than a decade of UFS-led breakthroughs in giraffe behaviour, physiology, and ecology under Prof Francois Deacon. His team has advanced reproductive technologies, endocrinology, anatomy, and disease research, and the new facility brings these strands together in one hands-on environment with on-site labs and low-stress habitats. Here, scientists, veterinarians, and students can work closely with giraffes while ensuring their welfare.
Over seven years, the team has completed 254 safe sedations and captures, developing the expertise required for the next milestone: the world’s first embryo transfer in wild giraffes. This controlled setting will allow the first viable embryo to be developed and monitored, forming the foundation for a long-term biobank of embryos and calves that could support future conservation.
Twelve UFS departments — from Animal Science to ICT Services — are contributing skills ranging from reproductive biology to 3D modelling, making the programme a uniquely collaborative effort to safeguard giraffes for generations to come.
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