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22 October 2025 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Giraffe Research Centre
The giraffe research programme and infrastructure facility at Amanzi Private Game Reserve marks the next phase in a research journey that has already placed the UFS at the forefront of giraffe science.

The University of the Free State (UFS) is taking wildlife research to new heights. On Wednesday 29 October 2025, the university will officially launch the giraffe research programme and infrastructure facility at the Amanzi Private Game Reserve near Brandfort – a first-of-its-kind in the world, dedicated to advancing local and international scientific collaboration in the study and conservation of giraffes.

The launch marks the next phase in a research journey that has already placed the UFS at the forefront of giraffe science. Over the past decade, a team of researchers, led by Prof Francois Deacon from the Department of Animal Science, has made significant contributions to understanding giraffe behaviour, physiology, and ecology. Building on pioneering work in reproductive technologies, endocrinology, anatomy, and disease, the new infrastructure combines on-site research laboratories with spacious, stress-free habitats. In this hands-on environment, veterinarians, scientists, and students can work closely with giraffes while promoting their welfare and supporting both local and international research projects.

Over the past seven years, his team has conducted 254 successful sedations and captures, carefully building the expertise needed for the next delicate step: the first embryo transfer in wild giraffes.

“This dedicated research facility will provide a safe and controlled environment where the world’s first giraffe embryo can develop and grow, and where we can collaborate to produce the science needed to turn the extinction of the giraffe around,” he explains. “The general public may not see the results immediately, but 20 years from now, what we are doing today will be vital in creating a biobank of viable giraffe embryos and calves that can be used in surrogate animals, supporting sustainable conservation practices for future generations.”

This programme will allow researchers to expand their understanding of the world’s tallest land mammal in ways that were not possible before. “From conducting sedation and sample collection to pioneering reproductive techniques such as semen preservation and embryo transfer, the facility provides an environment where we can study, among others, giraffe genetics, reproductive biology, and physiology; knowledge that is important for their conservation and survival,” says Prof Deacon. 

About 12 departments at the UFS are already involved in the research project in one way or another. This includes from the Department of Animal Science to the Departments of Zoology and Entomology, as well as Chemistry and even Information and Communication and Technology Services, which contributes to 3D-modelling, software, and monitoring of the animals. 

The project also offers opportunities for collaboration with conservation organisations and universities worldwide, positioning the UFS as a leading hub for giraffe and large-mammal research in Africa. Current partners who share Prof Deacon’s vision for giraffe conservation on the African continent include Save the Giraffes (a US-based NGO), Absolute Genetics, Ramsem, and the Kroonstad Animal Hospital.

Despite their towering presence on the African continent, giraffes are quietly disappearing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as Vulnerable, with populations declining by more than 40% over the past three decades. Today, fewer than 100 000 remain in the wild – a sobering reminder that their future is far from secure and that research excellence like this is key to ensure their survival.

“We have all the technology and all the expertise to make a change. Now is the time to bring about this change to secure the future of giraffes on this continent,” Prof Deacon concludes, emphasising the UFS’ commitment to sustainability, care, and conservation.

News Archive

ANC Centenary Seminars resume on the Bloemfontein Campus
2012-03-12

12 March 2012

In 2011, as a run-up to the African National Congress (ANC) Centenary Celebrations, the Centre for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) hosted a series of dialogues about the ANC to encourage debate and academic discourse.

The series of dialogues resumes this year as the party continues to celebrate 100 years of existence.

The first of three ANC Centenary Seminars for 2012 will start on Wednesday 14 March 2012 on the Bloemfontein Campus. The first seminar is dedicated to the Women’s League and Prof. Shireen Hassim, a professor in Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, is the guest speaker. She will speak on the topic “Rethinking Gender: The ANC and Feminism in the 20th century”.

Prof. Hassim has published widely in the areas of social justice, social policy and gender as well as on representative politics. She is the author of Women’s organizations and democracy in South Africa: Contesting authority (2006). She was awarded the Victoria Shuck Award for best book on women and politics by the American Political Science Association in 2007. She is also co-editor of several books, most recently Go home or die here: Xenophobia, violence and the reinvention of difference in South Africa.

  • Venue: Odeion
  • Time: 18:00

 

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