Golden wildebeest majesty

THABAZIMBI – Although wildebeest are not known for their beauty and are considered to be rather ungainly, there are exceptions to the rule. Golden wildebeest, such as are found on the farm Nkunzi of the Yorks, have a certain beauty and majesty about them. Where one would normally drive past and say “carry on, just wildebeest” one now wants to stop and watch them. Golden wildebeest, or better described as palamino coloured, fall in the same category as white lions, king cheetah and black impala, which are not separate species, but colour variants of the common lion, cheetah or impala. The colour variation on the golden wildebeest can be described to a recessive gene, which carries the blueprint for the animal’s colour. Golden wildebeest were first discovered in the 1920’s, but Christopher York was first introduced to them when he saw one about 20 years ago when a hunter shot it. At that stage they all thought is was a freak. But they found that that one golden wildebeest was one of many living in the Limpopo valley. The Yorks started breeding with them which turned out to be a sound financial decision since the golden wildbeest are in demand and can be sold for 75 times more than a normal wildebeest. Although all the wildebeest on his farm are not golden in colour, all of them are carriers of the “golden” gene. Therefore there are some which are darker in colour. The Yorks’ breeding programme is conducted in conjunction with the Zoological Research Council in Pretoria. The wildebeest herd are healthy and strong, assures Christopher. They have imported enough unrelated bulls from different areas to ensure that no inbreeding has taken place. As far as he knows the biggest golden wildebeest bull is found on his farm, Christopher boasts. It has a horn length of 33 inches. The big question now is what to do if one wants to view this rare phenomenon? The Yorks are in the process of developing a wide range of accommodation, some of which could be completed within the next 12 months. At this stage the wildbeest can be viewed by booking a game drive with Christopher at (014) 734 1657. Nkunzi is situated about 30 km outside Thabazimbi on the Alma/Rooiberg road.