Buffalo Bull Sold for R18 Million!
03 Oct 2011
[In Afrikaans]

Can a rancher get a good return on his money if he pays R18 million (Approx US$2.5 million) for a buffalo bull?

That is the vexing question being asked in game circles after a buffalo bull was sold for a record amount of R18 million at the Thaba Tholo Game Reserve’s game auction near Thabazimbi in Limpopo.

It was the highest price ever paid in South Africa for any animal – and it is almost R9 million more than the previous South African record for a buffalo - R9,2 million.

The record bull, Senatla, has a horn span of 50 inches (110 cm). It was bought at the auction by a Johannesburg businessman who has a game ranch in the Bushvled but who wished to remain anonymous.

The bull is 66 months and some 800 people attended the auction in among others 18 helicopters and eight airplanes, according to a statement by the auctioneers, Vleissentraal. The auction turnover of R91,3 million was also a South African record.

In auction process 12 national records were shattered, including a duiker sold for R5 600 ($680) (previous record R4 750), a nyala bull which made R33 000 ($4125) (previous record R26 000), an impala ram which invited the hammer at R21 000 ($2,625) (previous record R15 000), Zambian sable antelope cows which were sold for R925 000 ($115,625) (previous record R825 000) and R360 000 ($45,000) for Matetsi sable antelope cows (previous record R340 000).

That’s a good thing … that’s a very good thing.

Does it make any sense? No … but it’s still a good thing.

If the ability to bounce a ball around and put it in a basket can be valued at 20 or 30 million a year (for one single athlete), then why not 2.5 mill for a buffalo bull.

At least the bull has real, absolute value; basketball (and almost everything else that our insane species spends its money on) has none.

Game-ranchers, in this economically globalized world, are competing against (as one minor example) the NCAA final four series, which has a contract with NBC/Turner for 10.4 billion dollars. God only knows what the world’s contracts for soccer amount to.

Let’s hope that the top price for a buff doubles next year … and every year thereafter; more money for the ranchers.

The reason that athletes make millions is because there are millions of fans and tens of thousands of high school and college teams. It’d be a much better (and saner) world if every high school had a hunting club.

SteveGI - Being a Business Economics major in college, I can say that you are 100% correct in what you say, and bravo to you for the points you make above. Indeed, this is a very good thing. It is also an indication of the optimism held by the game ranchers in SA about the future of their business, and the future of hunting in SA in general.

Glen

He will need to find a way to collect semen from the bull to come out on this. Maybe they've got him gentled down like a farm bull and then it's easy.

quote:

Maybe they've got him gentled down like a farm bull and then it's easy.

Well then maybe you should go give him some love and get him to make some money

Since at least 3 or 4 ranchers have been gored or killed by farm raised buffalo, I suggest just turning him loose in a large enclosure with cows who all have at least 42" spreads...

Last auction I attended around four years ago, Renoster were highest priced animals with three going over $125,000US....a 44" buffle brought around $50K US.
That great looking former Brit, Afrikaans speaking tall Lady was the Vet present for the farmer and game catcher....