Thanks to the efforts of concerned conservationists, activists, and individuals who contacted Shamwari Game Reserve regarding the auction of black and white rhino, Shamwari has released a statement promising scrutiny of buyers and a safe environment for the animals following the sale.

Shamwari Game Reserve has released a statement (included below in its entirety) in response to the emails and inquiries that were prompted by concerns about the welfare of white and critically endangered black rhinos scheduled to be auctioned on May 22, 2010.

The welfare of these animals following the auction was called into question after the Times Live reported that the buyers at the Shamwari Game Reserve auction would include professional hunters, game farms, and “businessmen”.

The possible acquisition of rhinos by professional hunters from Shamwari’s auction prompted justifiable concern and action from the conservation community, based the recent findings by TRAFFIC and the IUCN/SSC that legal trophy hunts have been linked to illegal rhino horn trade.

In the midst of one of the worst assaults on rhinos in 15 years, any potential opportunity for illegal rhino horn to enter the market warrants closer scrutiny. This includes game auctions offering rhinos, in which bidders will include professional hunters.

I brought this to the public’s attention on April 28, 2010 by posting Shamwari Game Reserve Set to Auction Rhinos to Professional Hunters, Game Farms, and ‘Businessmen’. This post served its intended purpose of uniting fellow activists, conservationists and individuals to urge auction proprietors to continue responsibility for the animals after the sale – and also to inform our followers about how illegal rhino horn has entered the market via unscrupulous trophy hunt operators (who are frequently the “high bidders” at game auctions).

The full statement from Shamwari Game Reserve – promising scrutiny of buyers and safe environments for the auctioned animals – follows for your review:

Statement regarding the sale of Rhino at Shamwari Game Reserve on the 22nd May 2010

21st May 2010

Statement regarding the sale of Rhino at Shamwari Game Reserve on the 22nd May 2010

Following various emails regarding the pending sale of Rhino at Shamwari we comment as follows:

Black and White Rhino cannot be purchased in South Africa unless the buyer is in the possession of a TOPS (Threatened or Protected Species) permit which is issued by provincial government authorities.

We scrutinize all buyers and can assure all doubters that the animals will end up in a safe environment.

We operate a professional and highly skilled wildlife department and visitations to this centre by tourists is a daily practice and we certainly have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.

The support and recognition of our work is acknowledged world wide and has set an example for many other conservation initiatives both in the area of South Africa and other parts of the world which includes the stocking of Rhino purchased from us and other sources.

We, more than most private parks understand fully just how endangered both species of Rhinos are in the world. We have the most sophisticated and respected anti poaching outfit in South Africa which costs us millions of dollars to operate. This is an indication of just how much the specie and its safety means to us.

Detractors would do well to read the book “The White Rhino Saga” written by Dr Ian Player who together with his team saved the White Rhino from extinction. Dr Player is fully aware of our sale and the sale of Rhinos in South Africa and fully respects what we are doing and have done in the past.

Shamwari would not have been able to breed Rhino if in the first instance we were unable to purchase them from other sources.

We operate a managed environment and are suffering from the worst drought in living history and thus we have to manage the stock numbers.

We would like to remind our detractors that 20 years ago, Shamwari was a drought ravaged, overgrazed abused piece of land overrun by cattle and sheep and many exotic plant species.

National Parks are selling 250 White Rhino this year and the KZN (Kwazulu Natal Parks) 41 White Rhino.

Adrian Gardiner
Chairman
Shamwari Game Reserve

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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