Ardmore Endangered Auction

Presented by: Ardmore Ceramic Art Studio Pty Ltd

Contact No: +27 828529299

Email: [email protected]

Location: Stellenbosch

Start: 2022-11-11 17:00

End: 2022-11-11 19:00

Tax Rate on Fees: ,00%

Currency: ZAR

Proceeds of this auction  will go to the Bhejane Trust to assist in their tireless work to save rhinos and other endangered species.

Bhejane Trust (“Black Rhino” in the local Ndebele language) is a Zimbabwean non-profit wildlife trust, based in Victoria Falls, and operating into the Zambezi National Park, the Kazuma Pan National Park , and the Sinamatella and Robins areas of Hwange National Park. The primary function of the trust is to assist the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority in the management of the Parks areas, as they are handicapped by poor budgets, lack of equipment, etc The assistance rendered revolves around all aspects of Park management, especially on game water supplies, but also on road maintenance, fire protection and fighting, maintenance of tourist facilities such as hides, deployments and anti-poaching operations, staff welfare, general transport and support requirements. On game water supplies, the areas in which we operate are classified as semi-arid, and generally do not have permanent water. Thus there is a requirement to provide water for the wildlife to survive. To date, we now have resuscitated or installed 49 waterpoints, of which 46 are solar units. We pump over 1 million liters of water a day for the wildlife in the different areas, and at the height of the dry season we will be watering between 13,000 and 16,000 elephants per day (this equates to 1 in approximately 30 elephant left in the world), plus several thousand buffalo, and hundreds of other animals. We still have an ongoing program to provide water in more remote areas of the Parks estate, with the intention of pulling elephant back away from Park boundaries and possible conflict with surrounding human populations. Bhejane Trust also has a specialized Rhino Monitoring and Protection Unit which is based at Sinamatella and together with Parks is tasked with monitoring and protecting the remaining Black Rhino population here. This unit has proved very successful to date, and we have found more rhino then were anticipated. We are also undertaking a DNA program so as to positively identify the rhino we protect. The unit is also required to undertake anti-poaching activities in the area, covering about 2000 sq km of rugged country . With the prevailing poor economic situation in Zimbabwe, poaching has been on the rise, especially meat poaching with snares and dogs, but also wood (charcoal) and fish poaching, and our joint team with Parks are hard pressed to try and keep on top of it. We also support the Parks Investigations Unit, who to date have been extremely successful in closing down commercial poaching of elephant, rhino and pangolin The Trust also assists Parks to upgrade and maintain its tourist facilities, including building or renovating picnic sites and camps, plus game viewing hides. We generally maintain these facilities, plus we assist on roads, signage, maps, etc to add value to tourism experiences within the Parks A special thank you to the Constantia UItsig Team - the fact that they share our passion for art and wildlife has made this auction possible.