On a rainy night in London far from the sun of South Africa, auction bidding for world-class African getaways and a stunning bespoke 18-carat gold ring raised enough money to put another 70 threatened rhino under constant and potentially life-saving 24-hour GPS surveillance.
Local charity the Wildlands Conservation Trust raised £37,000 (approximately R407 000) at Sunday night’s Christie’s private view and auction in aid of the country’s beleaguered rhinos – two of which were killed by poachers that day.
The total will be boosted by a minimum of £20,000 (R220 000) thanks to the generosity of South African sculptor Dylan Lewis, whose final collection of animal bronzes – including a life size white rhino – will be auctioned on Thursday (June 16th).
The sculptor made his own auction pledge to donate the proceeds from the sale of his white rhino maquette – valued at between R220 000 and R330 000 – to Wildlands.
Each GPS tracking implant into the horn of a living rhino costs around R10 000. The auction now allows the charity to expand its rhino protection programme across South Africa, beginning in the Zululand Conservation Corridor which houses more than 160 rhino.
The new GPS monitoring system could prove a lifeline for South Africa’s rhinos. With poaching now driven from a higher level, new monitoring technologies and increased man power are vital as a deterrent to poachers and to help track the horns if an animal does get killed and its horn removed.
One hundred and eighty four rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year (one every 20 hours). One of the two rhino killed on Sunday was a black rhino, a species that is critically endangered.
On auction was a selection of world-class African getaways, including a rhino darting experience, and a stunning bespoke 18-carat gold ring embellished with black, cognac and white diamonds by South African jeweller Kirsten Goss, which fetched the highest bid on the night of R110,000.
Wildlands CEO Dr Andrew Venter spoke of rhino as ‘a global symbol of nature’s right to life’ and said that their protection depends on everyone. The South Africa High Commissioner, H E Dr Zoya Skweyiya stressed the importance of wildlife and rhino in stimulating his country’s rural economy.
The auction was conducted by UK’s foremost auctioneer, Hugh Edmeads, renowned for his commitment to the charitable causes of Prince William and Prince Harry.
The event was supported by Investec UK, and Wildlands’ local partner, Save the Rhino International. To make a contribution to the initiative, visit www.localhost/import-data-post.
WILDTRUST (registered as the Wildlands Conservation Trust - IT No: 4329/1991/PMB)