East Cape
News (Grahamstown)
June 2, 2003
Posted to the web June 2, 2003
Thozi Ka Manyisana
Bisho
The number of wild animals for sale
at the annual government sale at Thomas Baines Reserve outside
Grahamstown this weekend has
dropped
by 670 from 1892 last year to 1 220 this year.
However, the department
of Finance, Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism believes
it will raise R6.5m -- which is about the
same as last year.
Departmental spokesperson Zama Mpondwana
said the popular auction of game from government nature reserves
had
earned the province "more
than" R12 million in the past two years.
The sale is hosted
by the environmental affairs directorate and the Eastern Cape Tourism
Board.
Mpondwana said the sale of two white
Rhinos from the Greater Fish River Complex was expected to raise
interest among buyers.
For sale are buffalo, mountain zebras,
impalas, waterbuck and mountain reedbuck from Tsolwana, Mpofu,
Commando
Drift, Oviston and the
Karoo nature reserves.
Mpondwana assured ECN that Tom, the
40-year-old rhino reputed to have the world's longest horn, would "definitely
not (subs: not) go under the hammer on Saturday.
He said Tom had been in "demand" for
more three years but the government had no intention of selling
him.
"
He is an asset."
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