be controlled and balanced with the land ' s available feed and living space . If there are too many cows in a pasture or deer on a landscape , there won ’ t be enough grass and browse to feed them all , and the entire herd ( and ecosystem ) suffers . Giraffes are no different , and the bushveld of South Africa can only sustain so many of the long-necked browsers .
I learned a lot about giraffes in my research and knew the best way to understand the importance of hunting them was to ante up and try it .
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve The Timbavati Private Nature Reserve was formed in the 1950s , transforming farms and cattle operations into a wildlife park that borders Kruger National Park . The reserve has grown since its humble beginnings and now covers an area of 53,396 hectares ( 132,000 acres ) with 47 different landowners . The landowners created a common constitution and operate as a non-profit body committed to preserving the fauna and flora of the area . How could it be possible to pay for the management and a full fleet of wardens without farming and ranching ? The answer is simple : hunting .
Operating for seven decades , the Timbavati has proven it can sustain thriving wildlife populations . Wardens live on the reserve to stop poaching , especially for rhinoceros . The Timbavati has an impressive record of protecting the white and black rhinos . At the same time , populations in Kruger National Park have dropped dramatically .
Hunting the Timbavati Reserve , we had a local warden join us on the adventure . Allocation for different species is managed carefully , producing income for the reserve to operate . With decades of experience , Warden White could quickly assess a bull giraffe and decide if it was the right one to harvest . Only old , mature bulls past breeding age are considered . We saw dozens of bulls over the week , and it did not take long to recognize the prime-age bulls from an old warrior .
A group of giraffes is known as a tower , and the prime bulls were with the cows and calves , having earned the right through serious battle . The old bulls stood out , with huge bodies and dark spots and living in solitude . Giraffes get darker with age , and we saw a couple of old bulls over the week .
The author ' s giraffe was an old bull with signs of a broken skull from fighting . Along with giraffes , rhinos and Cape buffalo thrive on Timbavati .
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