KZN pockets R8m from wildlife auction

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife sold off more than 1000 wild animals at auction yesterday, injecting just over R8-million into the cash-strapped conservation agency's coffers.

Ezemvelo sold 1183 animals at its 28th annual auction at the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, including 10 white rhinos, which fetched a total of R3.6-million.

The agency also sold almost 350 zebras at an average price of R2700 each, 265 impala for just under R900 each and over 220 blue wildebeest for R2700 each.

• KZN wildlife auction nets more than R8-millionEzemvelo KZN Wildlife auctioned more than 1‚000 wild animals on Monday‚ injecting just over R8 million into the cash-strapped conservation agency’s depleted coffers.

Hippo fetched good prices, with two at R60000 apiece.

Swazi wildlife conservationist Ted Reilly, 79, splashed out more than R100000, including R58 000 on awaterbuck bull and 20 springbok for R2400 each.

Buffaloes fetched prices of just under R44000 each, with one large bull selling for R115000.

Giraffe prices were quite low, selling for about R6700 each - half of what they sold for six years ago.

The cheapest animals on sale were impala, which fetched less than R900 each, also considerably less than the average price of R1300 each last year.

The highest price of the day was R520000 paid for a dehorned white rhino cow from Spioenkop Nature Reserve which came with a small female calf as a bonus.

Some buyers travelled from as far afield as Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Welcoming them to the auction, park manager Jabulani Ngubane acknowledged that Ezemvelo was facing a major rhino poaching onslaught.

"Our field rangers go out into the field each day knowing that they could come home in a body bag," he said.

Ninety-three rhinos have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal this year, with most of them shot in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.