GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — Summit Wildlife will be holding the first ever prestigious game auction in the Graaff-Reinet area during the Karoolus festival. At 12 noon on Saturday, October 1, auctioneer Brandon Leer will take to the podium to take bids for a fine selection of roan, sable, buffalo, wildebeest, springbok, gemsbok and impala.
Summit Wildlife consists of local farmers with a passion for breeding quality animals. Neil Dodds from Jansenville is the chairman, with other members being Hennie Barnard, Grant Krige, and Johan van Loggerenberg from Aberdeen, Haydn Krige from Steytlerville, and Rob Hobsen from Jansenville.
The last member of the group is veterinarian Dr Malcolm Macfarlane of Graaff-Reinet. The farmers decided to invest in game to diversify and grow their businesses , seeing game farming as a way of expanding without needing more land. They have built up herds of rare game on their farms, with a focus on quality and superior genetics.
The wellbeing of the animals is of paramount importance, and as such, none of the animals will actually be at the auction, but they will be sold by catalogue. They may be viewed on the company’s website www.summitwildlife.co.za on the auction gallery, and the full catalogue will be available on the same site shortly.
Buyers can also visit the farms where these animals run to view them in their natural environment, and to see the herds from which they were bred. The stress to the animals is minimised as they will be moved directly from the seller’s to the buyer's farm.
The range of animals available at the auction aims to cater for everyone in the industry, from established game farmers wishing to improve and expand, to first time buyers who would like to start with the best animals.
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