Trust auctions 14 elephants
26 August, 2008

MMADINARE - Mmadinare Development Trust sold its quota of 14 elephants from the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism at the main kgotla of the village last week, where all the elephants were bought by the highest bidders.

Mr Graeme Phillips of Auctioneers Botswana conducted the sale on behalf of the trust.

Hunting of the auctioned elephants will be done in the CT27 hunting area, which falls in the range between Letsibogo, Mmadinare and Mathathane areas.

They are classified as trouble elephants, and should be hunted this hunting season. The season started in April this year and ends in January next year.

The trust raised a total of P152 500 from the sale, an excess of P12 500 from the originally expected P140 000. The reserve prize was P10 000 for each elephant, and the most expensive elephants were bought for P11 500 each.

However, Mr Tumelo Kgari, chairman of the trust, expressed disappointment at the low amount the trust made from the sale, compared to 2006 when they made more money from the same number of elephants, also by auction sale.

We feel a sense of loss today because we had expected to make a lot more money than in 2006 when we made P287 000, he said.

The community that witnessed the sale also believed the money was too low. Some board members of the trust wondered why Mr Phillips started the sale at P10 000.

They claimed the board agreed a reserve of P30 000 with Mr Phillips.

Mr Phillips however said he followed the guidelines agreed with the board.

The prices for the elephants were low because their sale was done very late while the hunting season was in progress, he explained.

We couldnt attract big and valued buyers from overseas countries like Germany who can pay around P50 000 per elephant. The buyers need time to prepare and organize themselves and to market the elephants.

He said the board needs to sell its quota of elephants before the start of a hunting season if the trust wants to make more money from the sale of elephants in future.

Mr Kgari told the community that the trust is presently constructing its offices with part of the money raised from the previous sale of elephants. BOPA

quote:

They claimed the board agreed a reserve of P30 000 with Mr Phillips.

Sounds like the Kansas City School Board. You screw up and just claim everyone else lied. Either the school board or Obama, I can't remember which!

11,500 pula - that's about 1700.00 USD each.

http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/africa/botswana/currency.htm

And I had to send clients to Zim earlier this year because Botswana pulled all the permits......the season is almost done and now they want to sell these ele...which BTW are not exportable if I understand this situation correctly.