Nature estate auction a bid to save 1 732 white rhinos

MAURICEDALE Nature Estate, 15km south of the world-famous Kruger National Park in South Africa, will go under the hammer on September 25 in a final and desperate attempt to save 1 732 white rhinos and secure the future of this near-endangered species for generations to come.

The unabated, unbridled poaching of white rhino to sell their horns on the black market and feed the demand for this product in mostly far eastern countries has put enormous pressure on the once-thriving southern white rhino population in southern Africa.

Private rhino owners and national parks and reserves have all fallen victim to ruthless poachers and syndicates that run a lucrative illegal trafficking operation between South Africa and countries where the demand for rhino horn remains very high.

John Hume is trying to raise funds to save his Rhino Project on Buffalo Dream Ranch on the estate, with the estimated value of the Mauricedale property between R490 million and R523m in 2008.

“The estate is an investor’s dream with established accommodation and quality infrastructure located in highly varied topography including mountains, rivers, plains and lowveld canopy,” said Hume.

In addition to its vast potential for expansion as a national and international tourism destination, the buyer of Mauricedale Nature Estate will play a key role in securing the future of the iconic white rhino. Hume runs a rhino breeding and rhino horn stockpiling project on a separate property.

The private sector’s involvement and commitment to support rhino breeding programmes can go a long way to rewild or re-introduce rhinos in areas where rhino numbers have declined. It also assists in introducing new bloodlines in existing population groups to ensure healthy rhino offspring from a diverse gene pool the statement added.