Golden Wildebeest naturally occurred along the Limpopo River basin, adjacent to the Tuli-Block of Botswana. Early farmers in the 1920′s, called them “Vos Wildebeest” The first Golden Wildebeest Bull was captured by Alec Rough in the early 1990′s on the game farm Swinburne, in the Limpopo Valley. This is the area where the majority of Golden Wildebeest originate from. They formed an integral part of the large migratory herds that once moved freely between South Africa and Botswana.
Very few people are aware of the phenomenal amount of work that was done, to get Golden Wildebeest to where they are today. Golden Wildebeest were first referred to as “Red or Yellow Wildebeest” by pioneer breeders. The decision to change the name of these colour variants was as a direct result of false accusations of cross-breeding between black and blue wildebeest. Wildebeest hybrids (Black and Blue Wildebeest Crossbreds) were also referred to as red wildebeest by nature conservation officials. Due to extensive DNA sampling and research done by Dr. Antoinette Kotze, we could clearly show that no black wildebeest genes occurred amongst any of our wildebeest herds.
This broad-shouldered antelope has a muscular, front-heavy appearance, with a distinctive robust muzzle. The coats are a golden colour. They have two horns.
The golden wildebeest is a herbivore, feeding primarily on the short grasses.
Golden wildebeest are found in short grass plains bordering bush-covered acacia savannas.