Bullbrand – Blue Wildebeest Bull

Bullbrand has grown into a large mature blue wildebeest bull and if one sees him on the open plains at SanWild it is very difficult to image that this majestic creature could ever have needed intensive veterinary treatment and that he almost did not survive. Like our logo zebra, Bullbrand is one of the animals that first came to us when he was very small.

He was born in a group of wildebeest in the Alldays area of Limpopo Province early in December. In February the following year, when Bullbrand was barely three months old a game capture unit arrived on the farm to capture and relocate excess animals. Bullbrand and his mother were captured along with the rest of their breeding group and was loaded into a truck for a very long 18 hour journey to the Eastern Cape. On arrival the game farm owner, who was a professional hunter by trade, informed the driver of the game truck that he was not interested in the calves that accompanied the herd of blue wildebeest and that he only wanted the adult blue wildebeest. The black drivers protest fell on deaf ears and despite him doing what he could the white hunter simply pushed him aside and separated the young blue wildebeest calves from their mothers – in the process killing three of the seven baby animals. The black driver was shaking and very upset and started his return journey with the three dead youngsters and the four other ones that were still alive. Poor little Bullbrand was still alive, but badly trampled by the adults when they were separated from their young during offloading.

Almost 42 hours after the young blue wildebeests were first captured with the rest of their breeding herd they arrived back on the farm on which they were born. When the truck doors were opened, four dead babies lay bloated and rotting, another one had collapsed and was close to death. The lack of milk from their mothers and the stress that they had endured had taken its toll. Bullbrand had fallen down during the journey and his one front leg had broken. He was a pathetic sight and it was clear that he was in severe pain. We got a call from the game capture unit asking us to accept the four remaining calves for veterinary treatment and hand raising. We immediately agreed and within another five hours the truck arrived at the small SanWild property with the four baby blue wildebeest. For the next three days it was touch and go. We administered anti-biotics and treated the animals for stress and dehydration. Bullbrand’s broken leg was strapped properly and within a week we took him to the veterinary clinic where his leg was x-rayed. Sadly the leg was not setting well and in addition to his broken leg, two broken ribs were discovered as well. The young calf was in serious trouble and we knew that if we wanted to prevent him being a cripple we would have to risk his life with an operation to insert a pin into his front leg. Fortunately Bullbrand proved to be a fighter – he survived the operation and within a couple of weeks he made an amazing recovery.

He grew up on the small property and was relocated to SanWild when the larger property was purchased. Today he moves around in the reserve without any problems and has sired a number of calves of his own.