More game for Sanbona

More animals for Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
- 31 July 2008

Over R11 million ($1.4 million) worth of game is currently being introduced into the vast 54 000 hectares of undulating mountains and plains of the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve.

A collective amount of wildlife has just been released into the reserve: 200 springbok, 4 white rhinos, 9 buffalos, 53 zebras, 200 red hartebeest, 200 gemsbok and 80 eland. More wildlife will be released by the end of the year.


The privately-owned reserve aims to bring indigenous species back to the Little Karoo and to manage, develop and rehabilitate the environment within the reserve to create a sustainable natural ecosystem through sound conservation principles. Sanbona is the first reserve in the Western Cape and Karoo region to have free-roaming mega-herbivores and large predators, providing a memorable and varied experience.

Rare species conservation
Sanbona is home to white lions and big game as well as the rare riverine rabbit. The White Lion Project at Sanbona aims to return white lions to the wild. This will make Sanbona home to the only free-roaming white lions.

The huge tract of land is the only conserved habitat for the highly endangered Riverine Rabbit (the 13th most endangered mammal in the world). Sanbona is a refuge from agricultural activities, hunting and poaching. Ongoing research will monitor the newly discovered population and cooperate closely with CapeNature and the Endangered Wildlife Trust.