Solole GR - Cape Town: Rhino lover 'let reserve go to pot'
Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 7:28 am
JOHN Hume was so worried about losing his rhino to poachers that he cut off their horns and shaved the stumps to stop them from growing back.
But the tycoon, who boasts one of the world's biggest herds of privately owned rhino, now stands accused of abandoning a unique game reserve in Cape Town - where, neighbours alleged, the animals were starving.
Hume has a combined herd of over 700 rhino, most of them on his 6500ha farm in Mpumalanga.
But the tycoon, who has called for the legalisation of the trade in rhino horn, has come under scrutiny after closing down his Solole game reserve. He also sold 10 buffalo from the reserve - which he bought in 2007 from wildlife expert Lindsay Hunt - to alleged poaching kingpin Dawie Groenewald.
This week officials seized Groenewald's assets.
Neighbours were so concerned by the state of the remaining animals on Solole, that they started feeding them.
The 250ha reserve was once a popular attraction on a prime tourist route adjoining the Table Mountain National Park. But it fell into disrepair once Hume took over and is now closed to the public pending its sale.
Although Hume refused to answer questions, his lawyer, Izak du Toit, blamed the Cape Town authorities for forcing his client to sell the reserve, saying officials had refused to allow the tycoon "to develop Solole into an eco-friendly, green, up-market residential nature estate".
NSPCA spokesman Brett Glasby said he had inspected Solole after complaints about the condition of the animals.
He had then helped broker a deal between Hume and the Aquila Game Reserve - about 90 minutes' drive from Cape Town - which agreed to buy the animals and pay for their upkeep until the necessary permits were obtained.
Hunt, who started the reserve in the 1990s but sold out to Hume due to financial difficulties, alleged the tycoon had turned a wildlife dream into a nightmare.
"Solole is a mess. He took something ... in meticulous condition and just let it deteriorate. There were 6000 trees there, all on drip irrigation, and there were beautiful botanical garden areas that are now just sand. He didn't do an ounce of management."
Now the South African National Parks (SANParks) has stepped in, with a view to incorporating the reserve into the Table Mountain National Park.
Mike Slayen, manager of the Table Mountain reserve, said: "SANParks is in discussions with the owner ... The properties are viewed as a priority for consolidation into the park due to their important biodiversity and landscape value."
Lawyer Du Toit said the property would be put up for auction shortly.
Last year the tycoon called for the trade in rhino horn to be legalised, a move he said would destroy the black market and stop poaching. He has reportedly stockpiled 500kg of rhino horn.
But Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said the government would not sell the rhino horn it had seized from criminals.
But the tycoon, who boasts one of the world's biggest herds of privately owned rhino, now stands accused of abandoning a unique game reserve in Cape Town - where, neighbours alleged, the animals were starving.
Hume has a combined herd of over 700 rhino, most of them on his 6500ha farm in Mpumalanga.
But the tycoon, who has called for the legalisation of the trade in rhino horn, has come under scrutiny after closing down his Solole game reserve. He also sold 10 buffalo from the reserve - which he bought in 2007 from wildlife expert Lindsay Hunt - to alleged poaching kingpin Dawie Groenewald.
This week officials seized Groenewald's assets.
Neighbours were so concerned by the state of the remaining animals on Solole, that they started feeding them.
The 250ha reserve was once a popular attraction on a prime tourist route adjoining the Table Mountain National Park. But it fell into disrepair once Hume took over and is now closed to the public pending its sale.
Although Hume refused to answer questions, his lawyer, Izak du Toit, blamed the Cape Town authorities for forcing his client to sell the reserve, saying officials had refused to allow the tycoon "to develop Solole into an eco-friendly, green, up-market residential nature estate".
NSPCA spokesman Brett Glasby said he had inspected Solole after complaints about the condition of the animals.
He had then helped broker a deal between Hume and the Aquila Game Reserve - about 90 minutes' drive from Cape Town - which agreed to buy the animals and pay for their upkeep until the necessary permits were obtained.
Hunt, who started the reserve in the 1990s but sold out to Hume due to financial difficulties, alleged the tycoon had turned a wildlife dream into a nightmare.
"Solole is a mess. He took something ... in meticulous condition and just let it deteriorate. There were 6000 trees there, all on drip irrigation, and there were beautiful botanical garden areas that are now just sand. He didn't do an ounce of management."
Now the South African National Parks (SANParks) has stepped in, with a view to incorporating the reserve into the Table Mountain National Park.
Mike Slayen, manager of the Table Mountain reserve, said: "SANParks is in discussions with the owner ... The properties are viewed as a priority for consolidation into the park due to their important biodiversity and landscape value."
Lawyer Du Toit said the property would be put up for auction shortly.
Last year the tycoon called for the trade in rhino horn to be legalised, a move he said would destroy the black market and stop poaching. He has reportedly stockpiled 500kg of rhino horn.
But Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said the government would not sell the rhino horn it had seized from criminals.
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