This fetched, yet again, a record amount - R15 million. The game sold off on this yearly auction, the biggest in the world apparently, is all excess from the parks under jurisdiction of the NPB. BTW, they also allow limited hunting in the parks. Packages are set out which can be bought, or are sold under a lottery-type basis - I'm not sure. NPB has been very successful in conservation (they brought the black rhino back from the brink of extinction), and have, at the same time done it with the use of hunting and support from and for the community.
Record prices were paid for white rhino (cow and calf for R4?? 000, cow R345 000) black rhino (group of 5 for R375 000 each), nyala (R11 000 for a bull), etc. What is interesting is that this is mostly going to private game reserves.
The head of the NPB commented (for the death of me can't remember his name now) commented that this is very good for game in South Africa. There is more game now in South Africa than there was 80 years ago - thanks to the private landowners investing in game. Some purely for game reserves, other for hunting. He also mentioned that a few years from now these people, who are now stocking up, will have to start controlling populations, by way of consumptive use, hunting and culling, and non-consumptive, i.e. selling off. And he mentioned it in that order. He mentioned that NPB does have cash-flow problems right now, but that this will once again go far to solve that temporary problem. (NPB is in far better state the National Parks Board)
Also interesting is that the white rhino cow (R354 000) was sold on behalf of a community project. I cannot quite remember how these work, but they work with the local communities to preserve their game as well. They assist with management principles, hunting allocations etc., and also sell some of their game on these auctions. This money goes directly back to the community.