Windhoek - The Ministry of Environment and Tourism will conduct a wildlife auction of rare and high-demand game species from State-owned game parks towards the end of this month.

The exercise, which takes place every second year, was created specifically to channel revenue from wildlife products into conservation and community development programmes.

It provides the mechanism through which revenue from wildlife auctions can be used to strengthen the capacity of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to fulfil its obligations in terms of biodiversity conservation and protected area management.

An auction held by MET in 2006 earned over N$9.2 million which was deposited in the Game Products Trust Fund (GPTF).

The Director of Scientific Services, Dr Fanuel Demas, indicated that game for the auction is being captured in the Waterberg Plateau Park and the Etosha National Park.

The captures started last month with the rhino and buffalo already in pens at Waterberg Plateau Park.

During the first week of July, the capture team will move to Etosha National Park to capture sable and black-faced impala before moving back to the Waterberg Plateau Park to capture additional sable and giraffe.

The eight black rhinos (5 females and 3 males) from Waterberg Plateau Park are expected to do very well at the auction, generating significant revenue for conservation efforts.

The black rhino will be sold for export only and not for farming within the country as the entire Namibian black rhino population is being managed as a meta-population.

In a statement, the directorate said fragmented privately owned and State-owned rhino would result in biological management complications of this flagship species, which is tightly controlled through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna & Flora (CITES).

The 40 disease-free buffalo (28 females and 12 males) from Waterberg Plateau Park are also expected to do well.

Due to veterinary restrictions, placement of buffaloes south of the Cordon Fence (with the exception of Waterberg Plateau Park) is prohibited.

Hence, the buffalo will be for export only and like the black rhino not for farmers intending to farm with the buffalo in Namibia.

Ninety black-faced impala (68 females and 22 males) are also up for sale.

This species, which has a historic range in northwestern Namibia and southwestern Angola, is unique and sought after.

The ministry's management plan for black-faced impala aims to re-establish viable breeding populations in suitable areas, preferably in the historic range, and to promote black-faced impala as an economically viable alternative to common impala.

The black-faced impala on auction will provide an opportunity for the local wildlife sector to acquire breeding stock for establishing viable populations within the suitable range identified for this species.

The auction aims to mainly sell black-faced impala to local buyers within the historic range, not for export.

One auction will also be 16 sables consisting of a breeding herd of six animals (2 males and 4 females) and 10 bulls, five of which will be sourced from Khoabendes in the Etosha National Park and five from the Waterberg Plateau Park.

The sable breeding herd and bulls will provide excellent breeding stock for buyers interested in obtaining good breeding material.

These are also not for export.

Twenty-one giraffes (12 females and 9 males) from Waterberg Plateau Park will also be on auction.

The giraffes are also expected to do well and will be sold to local buyers, and are also not for export.

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