by Anne Kruger, GST Correspondent
In the heart of South Africa’s Northern Cape lies Jules of the Karoo Safaris, a testament to sustainable tourism and conservation. This working Merino sheep farm is renowned for its Springbok breeding and trophy hunting. These combined activities ensure sustainability.
As a member of GST, the GST measure and manage principles are being implemented across the diversity of Jules of the Karoo operations with prodigious results.
Julian Theron is a passionate hunter who believes in preservation by utilisation. He dedicates his time and energy to the breeding of top springbok genetics. For the adventurous they offer horseback riding, cycling and mountaineering featuring petroglyphs (Bushman rock painting) from bygone ages. Enjoy game and photography drives to the free ranging herds of hundreds of buck in the wide open dramatic and unending land and skyscapes.
Refreshments and picnic lunches are provided featuring farm bread-and-butter sandwiches with homemade pickles and jams, and there’s no better trail snack than springbok biltong and tasty wors.
Springbok were once so numerous in the Karoo, that they could be viewed in their millions as they moved across the veld in search of grazing. Nearly hunted to extinction, the numbers are now recovering. One of the restored habitats where they can be viewed (and hunted) today, is Jules of the Karoo near Victoria West, considered the premier springbok hunting property in the world.
This sustainably farmed property offers free-ranging springbok in all four colour phases (common, black, white, and copper). Jules of the Karoo has been home to more record book springbok than any other property, by far. Currently 11 of the top 15 entries in the Safari Club International Record Books were taken at Jules of the Karoo. As a matter of fact, the current World Record Common Springbok for all four hunting methods (rifle, muzzleloader, handgun and bow), were all taken at Jules of the Karoo!
Nowadays, springbok are flourishing once again, although they will never achieve the numbers that once roamed the veld in the 19th century. Tourism, sport hunting, and declining domestic stock are all contributing to the resurgence of the springbok population. At Jules of the Karoo, for instance, with their enormous 300,000 managed acre farm, they are still able to offer low-cost old-fashioned meat hunts as well as reserve other portions of the farm for trophy hunting. As a result, they can offer the best of both worlds.
Springbok phases
Besides the Common Springbok, there are three colour phases that have become popular to collect. They are black, white and copper springbok.
The first record sighting of a black springbok was in 1886. Then one appeared in the 1950s about 100 miles south of Jules of the Karoo. The rancher bred the black springbok until it bore another black springbok with the same recessive gene. Then he bred the two black springbok and the colour mutation repeated itself more rapidly until a herd was building. Today there are thousands of black springbok. There are over 800 black springbok at Jules of the Karoo alone. Typically the black stripes on the sides are visibly darker black than the rest of the animal. They also have white markings on the face.
White Springbok
In the same way as the black springbok, a white springbok with a recessive gene appeared naturally. This time it was in the Eastern Cape Province. The white springbok is not an albino, but instead it is just a colour phase. They do not have pink eyes. Jules of the Karoo has over 1,300 white springbok roaming the farm.
Thirty years ago in the Orange Free State the copper springbok was found and bred until a herd developed. The copper springbok is unique among the colour phases in that the colour mutation can repeat itself in the first generation. As a result, this colour phase will grow rapidly despite it being the youngest colour phase. The copper or caramel colour replaces the white found on the belly of the common springbok below the side stripes.
As the expansive South African landscapes stretches out before you, it teems with an amazing diversity of plains game. With 40 species of plains game on 300 000 acres,, Jules of the Karoo has much more than just the world’s largest springbok to offer the travelling hunter. Through a combination of habitat, strict management and zero poaching, Jules of the Karoo is the perfect destination for your safari!
Springbok image: Copyright Jules of the Karoo