Parks Auction Rakes in US$900 000, $15 Trillion

Source: The Herald

Date: 13 March 2008

Author: Anon

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority last week raised about US$900 000 and $15 trillion from its annual auction of animals from three of its Zambezi Valley safari camps.

Parks and Wildlife spokesman Retired Major Edward Mbewe said most of the people had started paying. "About 50 percent of the people who won bids that were sold in bags of 10 to 15 animals have started paying and are expected to continue doing so within the next seven working days."

Attendance at the auction had surpassed Park's expectations with more Zimbabweans venturing into wildlife. "To facilitate the entry of indigenous players into the lucrative wildlife business, we have since introduced tailor-made packages for them," he said. Major Mbewe said the bids raised $40 billion in deposits, which will be refunded if all conditions of sale are met. He also said that of all the animals that were hunted only those bought in foreign currency could be exported.

Major Mbewe encouraged Zimbabweans in arid and semi-arid areas to engage in sustainable wildlife management following the formulation of a wildlife land reform policy that promotes indigenisation through sustainable use of wildlife resources.