NEWS: 260 rhinos ‘sold’ to hunting firms

Controversy surrounds the sale of 260 rhinos from the Kruger National Park (SANParks) to three private hunting farms in the Northern Cape, and the public protector has been called in to investigate.

After the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, announced earlier this month that 500 rhino would be “evacuated” from the Kruger National Park to “ensure their ‘safety’ during the escalating poaching crisis in the Kruger”, it has emerged that SANParks signed contracts for the sale of 260 of these rhinos to three hunting safari companies in the Northern Cape.

Apparently the contracts with the companies, all three displaying photographs of rhino hunts on their websites, were signed in October and November last year, 10 months before cabinet approval of the sale of the rhinos.

It is believed that the 260 rhinos were sold for R60 million, which equates to an average price of R230 700 a rhino.

In May this year, at an auction held by Vleissentraal, six rhinos were sold for R3.3m, an average price of R550 000 a rhino.

When asked about the contracts, SANParks spokesman Rey Thakhuli said SANParks was not at liberty to divulge who it was doing business with.

Molewa has, however, confirmed that a senior SANParks executive was suspended because the board had “issues” about the procedures that were followed with the sale of the rhinos.

Allison Thompson, of Oscap, an anti-rhino poaching organisation, has lodged a complaint with the public protector asking for the sale of the 260 rhinos to be investigated.

She said yesterday that it was clear that the rhino would not be used in conservation efforts, but rather for hunting.

“Sixty male and 40 females were sold to one farm alone. This raises serious concerns, as only one male would be needed to cover a few females if the rhinos were to be used in conservation efforts.”

SANParks responded yesterday that although it had missed the window to move local rhino this year, it had developed a plan for March next year.

Read more at The Mercury, August 29, 2014


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