who owns the rhinos
Sharon Mathala | Friday June 5, 2015 16:55
This week, a South African newspaper, The Citizen reported that the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) in South Africa was a hive of activity when the BDF aircraft picked a second consignment of the endangered animals to Botswana.
While the parties involved do not deny that the animals were transported by the BDF, there is disagreement over the ownership of the rhinos. Both the Botswana government and Wilderness Safaris claim ownership of the crash of rhinos.
Mmegi has learnt that on May 23, the BDF aircraft, a Hercules C130 landed at the KMIA to load the first delivery. Mmegi has also been informed that on the first badge, two calves, two adult females and one male were flown into the country. Wilderness Safaris managing Director, Grant Woodrow has confirmed that they had bought the rhinos. Woodrow said that they paid for the rhinos while government is helping with the upkeep of the rhinos while in the country.
“Since 2001 we have been working with government on a conservation project. The government through the BDF will be providing security for the rhinos but we will be monitoring them,” he said. This, however, was contradicted by the Chief Wildlife Officer at Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Cyril Taolo who claimed the animals belonged to the government.
Reached for comment, the BDF director of protocol and public affairs Teko Dikole admitted that the Hercules C130 aircraft belonging to the army was used in the transportation of the said rhinos. “The BDF Hercules C130 is used in the relocation of rhinos because the ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (WET) was charged with the relocation exercise made a request to the BDF which ahs been acceded to. Therefore it is imperative to note that this arrangement is between BDF and MEWT,” said Dikole.
He said before the army undertakes to assist any department, it furnishes the department with costs involved to undertake the assistance and prior to that, an adjustment voucher is issued to the BDF before the undertaking of the mission. “In the case of an aircraft the figure hinges on the hours flown by the particular aircraft, in this case the costs are being borne by MEWT.”
But just as Woodrow confirmed to Mmegi that they owned the rhinos, The Citizen report reveals that the deal was signed between a private farmer near Bela Bela, in Limpopo, and Wilderness Safaris in the north of Botswana for the sale of 18 rhinos.
Lieutenant-Colonel Philemon Daman of the BDF is reported saying his crew was very proud to be involved in this special project. “As you know, rhino almost became extinct during the 1980s because of poaching. It is such an honour for us as soldiers to be involved in the restocking as well being able to show our children what a live rhino looks like. We are basically rewriting history,” Daman was quoted.