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Origin and Development of the Savannah Goat
by Dr. Quentin P. Campbell
The tip of South Africa is know to seafarers as the "Fairest Cape in all the world" but also as the "Cape of Storms". These divergent opinions also apply to the rest of South Africa with its widely divergent climatic conditions as ecosystems. These systems vary from subtropical rain forests to spectacular Savanna country and endless red Kalahari sand dunes. Although extremely beautiful, the natural environment of South Africa is also a cauldron containing a witches brew that tests all living organism to the utmost.
These unfavourable conditions and merciless natural selection however, resulted in eh development of well-adapted beautiful game animals as well as indigenous domestic breeds of animals.
During the Fifteenth century A. D. nations such as Khoikoin, because of ethnic violence in the big lakes region(Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi) immigrated southward through the tsetse fly free corridor through the tropical forests of the equator. The situation in this region has really not changed much during the past 500 years. The nations possessed Zebu type humid cattle, fat-tailed hairy sheep and ridge-back dogs and they migrated down to the drier west coast of Angola, Namibia and Namaqualand. From hardy indigenous breeds South Africa's Striking Afrikanner cattle breed and later the Bonsmara breed developed.
Almost simultaneously a number of nations with Sanga cattle, short ear thin tail sheep, serini lop-ear goats, some with short hair other with long hair, and short hair cogs also migrated through these tsetse free corridor southwards. The tsetse fly is the carrier of the deadly sleeping sickness disease. The nations migrated along the East coast with its humid conditions and semi-tropical rain forests where tics and tic-borne disease such as East Coast fever and hart water were common. During the migration all week or unpadded cattle, goat and sheep were eliminated by means of natural selection. From these cattle the Zulu cattle breed known as the Nquni was developed and the indigenous sheep short eared Nguni sheep breed developed. From the indigenous goats the well known redhead boer goat and lesser know red and white Savannah goat were bred. Also, the mouse-ear or short ear goat were bred from the indigenous goats.
The best known Savannah stud is the white goat of D.S.U. Cilliers and Sons of Olierver Douglas. This stud started in 1957 in a thorn bush camp close to the Vaalriver. These goats originated from a variety of indigenous ewes and good robust white male goats. As a result of natural selection and unfavourable environmental conditions such as drought, heat and cold only the fittest and best adapted goat survived. From these goats with the aid of strict selection for fertility, growth rate and muscular development outstanding meat production Savannah goats were bred.
At a meeting of indigenous goat breeders, South African goat farmers on November 23, 1993 at Olierivier decided to form a Savanna Goat Breeder Society. Breed standards as well as a constitution were drawn up and the Society joined the South African Studbook Association.
On another meeting on November 11, 1996 it was decided to accept breeder of red goats, "skilder" or roan goats and mouse-ear goats as well as white Savanna goats members to the Savannah Goat Society.
Since the Savanna Goat Society has expanded rapidly and in March 1998 a successful National Champion show with 160 goats was held at Bloemfontien.
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