North West Provincial Government to donate 14 rhinos to Botswana
North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) has approved the donation of 14 black rhinoceros to Botswana to assist grow the rhino population to a sustainable level, Premier Thandi Modise announced on Wednesday.
Premier Modise said that approval of the donation of 8 cows and 6 bulls was made on the understanding that once the Botswana Black Rhino population has grown and stabilised and the South African Rhino security has equally stabilised, the founder population would be retrieved in line with the Mafisa concept 50% of the offspring would be equally shared.
In line with the agreement endorsed by Exco and the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, all capture and translocation costs of the rhinos estimated to cost about R1 million would be borne by the Ministry of Environment Wildlife and Tourism of the Republic of Botswana.
Exco has directed that the requisite administrative compliance including norms and standards, policy requirements and legislative prescripts should be adhered to by officials of the North West Parks and Tourism Board (NWPTB) and Botswana Wildlife Ministry.
The Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust (KRST) made up of communities in Serowe, Mabele a Pudi and Paje villages had previously received a joint donation of 13 white rhinos from the NWPTB and the South African National Parks Board.
According to the latest report, the 13 rhinos which were donated to the KRST a while back have grown to 48 meaning that 50% of the rhino offspring ranging at the KRS are owned by the North West Provincial Government.
Modise said that the donation is informed by South Africa’s membership to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Rhino Monitoring Group, SADC Black Rhino Range Expansion, SADC Enhancement of Species Conservation, the SADC Rhino and Elephant Security Group and the SADC Conservation Protocol.
It is through the collaboration of the conservation fraternity in the SADC region that the current lion population in Madikwe and the Pilanesberg were donated by the Namiba’s Etosha National Park and the Wild Dogs in Zimbabwe were donated by the NWPTB.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
