Red List of South African Species

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Not Evaluated (NE)

Rationale

Though Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest is highly vulnerable to poaching, and its long-term survival is closely linked to the continuation of effective protection of its populations in areas such as Selous Game Reserve and the other key areas for this species in western and southern Tanzania and Zambia, most of these populations are stable. The status will not change as long as these areas generally continue to support healthy, stable populations.
Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest is Not Evaluated within the assessment region, as there is much uncertainty over whether the subspecies was ever resident in both Kruger National Park (KNP) and northern KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN) (for example, Pongola Nature Reserve). While they have been reintroduced into both KNP and private conservancies in the Lowveld, their numbers are currently very low within the assessment region (although their numbers were estimated to be 82,000 globally in 2008), probably comprising fewer than 50 individuals. Once further evidence has been produced to confirm or reject its historical residency in the assessment region, this subspecies should be reassessed.

Distribution

Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest formerly occurred widely in the miombo woodlands of south-central Africa, but now occur mainly in wildlife areas in Tanzania, Mozambique andZambia; they are extinct in Burundi (IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2016). Within the assessment region, they were probably present in low numbers in the Lowveld and northern Kruger National Park (KNP) and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) (du Plessis 1969, Milstein 1989, Skinner and Chimimba 2005), but were perhaps mistaken for Tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus lunatus) in southern KNP (Penzhorn 1985). In 1985, 18 hartebeest were reintroduced from Malawi to KNP, a further 91 captive-bred individuals were released into northern KNP during 1990–1994, and 31 to the southern regions in 1994, but there are no further planned translocations into KNP (S. Ferreira pers. comm. 2014). In KZN, there were reports of hartebeest in Pongola as early as 1895 (Skinner and Chimimba 2005). Being ecologically unsuitable for Red Hartebeest, it is reasonable to assume the subspecies was Lichtenstein’s. They have also been reintroduced to some private reserves in the Lowveld. However, there is debate around whether this subspecies ever truly occurred in the assessment region or whether they were occasional visitors from their core range. For example, it was excluded from the previous assessment (Friedmann and Daly 2004). Supporting the exclusion, several older texts do not mention the subspecies as occurring in South Africa (Roberts 1951, Rautenbach 1982, Meester et al. 1986). More research is necessary to determine whether this subspecies was, or should be, native to the assessment region.

Population trend

Trend

There were suspected to be around 50 Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest in Kruger National Park (KNP) in 2009 (Ferreira et al. 2013), but they now are virtually locally extinct in KNP with perhaps one individual remaining (S. Ferreira pers. comm. 2014).
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