Game Buyers Reassured Ahead of Auction


BuaNews (Pretoria)

July 16, 2004
Posted to the web July 16, 2004

Dirk Nel
Polokwane

The Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board (LTPB) has assured potential buyers that all species of game on offer at its major game auction this weekend have been declared disease-free.

About 4 500 animals will come under the auctioneer's hammer on Saturday, in what has been described as the largest event of its kind ever held in the country.


One of the unique features of the auction will be the availability of a number of roans, one of the country's most endangered antelope.

Limpopo Environment spokesperson Fixon Hlungwani has allayed fears that the 30 buffalo from the Percy Fyfe Provincial Nature Reserve in Limpopo, scheduled to be sold at the auction, might be infected with bovine TB or foot and mouth disease.

"We can assure everyone that these animals have been certified clean, and that the necessary documentation has been issued in this regard," he said.

He confirmed that other species on offer would include kudu, impala, zebra, wildebeest, nyala, tsessebe, gemsbuck, giraffe, and red hartebeest.



Limpopo MEC for Finance and Economic Development Thaba Mufamadi will officially open the auction on Saturday, before bidding begins at 11am.

The event will be preceded by a landmark conference on Wildlife Management, at Meropa Entertainment World today, which is expected to be attended by more than 300 delegates.

Thanks Kathi.

The reality is that these game auctions help continue the reality that South Africa has more wild animals now than it did 100 years ago. I've attended two such auctions, the most recent six years ago or so at Willem Pretorius game park. It was a treat, with booths from riflemakers and other gear, and, in general, a family affair.
Regards, Tim

Are most of the animals felmale/young or are there many trophy animals in the mix?
BTW, do you bid for specific individuals, or just '5 impala'?

Hey Scottie!
No offense mate it just sounded better in my head than Boghossian. What is a Boghossian out of interest? Usually social animals are sold in herds/groups & solitary animals are sold individually. There can be some exceptions from time to time but generally that is how it is done. Quite often males are separated from groups to enable a good combination of genes. Some animals are sold as trophy animals - as has been illustrated with the booming lion breeding trade in some parts of the world, but quite a few game-farmers will sell mature animals in order to buy in younger stock with different genes, e.g. Kudu - the males usually only live 7-9 yrs and females can go to 14 or even as much as 18/19 sometimes.
It really is a science of its own if you look into it, but I hope that kind of helps you out!
Cheers

I attended an exotic auction (mostly plains game and lots of blackbuck) just outside Lampassas, TX a few years ago. As far as I could tell it was all being sold as breeding stock for ranchers building their herds.

It was interesting to see the different animals reactons to people. Some were obviously very accustomed to human contact and didnt bat an eyelash at us. Others went absolutely crazy when you peaked over the edge of the pen. It wasnt hard to tell which had been captured off the open range.

I just attended one--Kirkwood Game Festival--a few weeks ago. It is a great festival akin to what we used to have as state fairs 30 years ago. Very interesting, a lot of fun, a lot of crafts from all over southern Africa, art (some real high quality), food, displays, etc. The auction didn't have any live animals. They were either videos or brochure discriptions. In some cases, the animals had not yet been captured, in other cases it was a specific individual(s). Some, most, were breeding animals, but there were some trophies. I was told this was the norm.

Arts,



I think that was the same one I went to last year if Kirkwood is a couple hours north of Pt. Elizabeth. Heck, I even got interviewed by the local TV station. Actually they did it twice because they noticed they had done the first one with the portable toilets in the background. -TONY

Here are the auction results



MEC Calls for More Wildlife Jobs


BuaNews (Pretoria)

July 19, 2004
Posted to the web July 19, 2004

Dirk Nel
Polokwane

The Limpopo government has hailed the Limpopo Tourism and Parks Board (LTPB) Wildlife Conference and Game Auction held at the weekend as landmark events.

Launching the record-breaking game auction, MEC for Finance and Economic Development Thaba Mufamadi pointed out that the wildlife industry currently generated an annual national income of about R650 million, and expressed hope that it would aim to create more jobs.

"We estimate that an amount of close to R50 million in respect of private hunting, culling, and public auctions will be generated in Limpopo this year," he said.

He added that it was fitting that the historic Wildlife Weekend was held in the year the country was celebrating a decade of democracy.

"Ten years ago, a widely representative gathering of this nature would not have been possible," he commented.

While welcoming inputs by various role-players in the establishment of a healthy and vibrant wildlife industry, Mr Mufamadi said the provincial government would like to see more benefits accruing to poor communities living in areas adjoining game-rich conservancies and national parks.

"The importance of creating more jobs, and also empowering previously disadvantaged people to enter this industry as entrepreneurs, hunting outfitters, lodge managers and park executives cannot be over-emphasized," Mr Mufamadi said.

He believed such initiatives would promote a healthier culture of conservation among all South Africans, stimulate a widespread love for nature, and combat problems such as the indiscriminate destruction of wildlife.

Meanwhile, the game auction realised an unprecedented R19.5 million turnover, making it by far the largest event of its kind ever held in South Africa, with Mr Mufamadi expressing satisfaction in this regard.

Briefing the media, he said the proceeds from the auction would be used to upgrade fencing and infrastructure in parks in the province, and also to improve the quality of life of people living in adjoining communities.

Despite the withdrawal of a large number of originally catalogued animals from the Manyeleti and Letaba Ranch provincial reserves, a total of 3 600 head of game were on offer.

The eagerly awaited auctioning of 42 roan antelope turned out to be the highlight of the auction, with an astonishing R6.8 million changing hands. The top price paid was R180 000.

Buffalo fetched up to R165 000 each, while sable antelope surprisingly only reached a top price of R75 000, which was well below this year's provincial average.

However, tsessebe were in great demand, selling at up to R19 000 each, and the 49 giraffe on offer were also sold easily, with a top price of R14 500 being achieved.


A surprising total of 273 waterbuck were sold, with bidders chasing the price up to a maximum of R4 600.

Gemsbuck reached R4 900 each, while nyala reached R7 000, zebra R4 300, eland R4 100, and red hartebeest was sold at R4 000.

I imagine it was the same one. It is a big (and growing) annual event. I feel somewhat confident in saying that I was the only American there. I listened and looked all day, found no hint of another, nor did my squaw or mother, who were off seperate most of the time. We, especially they, had a grand time. I'll check the map tonite to verify direction from PE, but I think we're on the same page. There is one in Grahamstown (same general area) beginning about 1 July that I understand is the mother of all game festivals. Love to catch it.

Oh wait, BONG! It WAS the Grahamstown I went to!! And it is indeed right at the beginning of July and exactly when I was there. Prior to going to the auction, we visited a couple of the farms that had game for sale. The animals were displayed in various enclosures that had catwalks above so you could check the critters out. I have some photos on 35mm, but they need to be scanned. One pen had at least a dozen big buff bulls in it. Another had gemsboks with rubber hoses covering the point of their horns. -TONY

Outdoor Writer,

You have a PM.

BOWHUNR

Writer--
Well, since you were at the Grahamstown Festival, it is a moot point, but Kirkwood is north of PE, a skosh west. For clarification, I referred to it as the Kirkwood Game Festival, it is the Kirkwood Wildlife Festival.