South African Kudu bull auctioned for a record R9.4m (about $700,000)

                                A Kudu bull                             (C)Flickr

A kudu bull, known as Hercules has gone for a record R9.4m (about $700,000), which is more than triple a previous record (R2.4m) at a game auction, News24 reports. The 12 years old bull is said to have a spiral horn that is more than 1.7 meters long, and was bought by a group of game farmers from the Thabazimbi area, according to the seller, Dries Visser of Dries Visser Pure-Bred Game.
“If he is looked after, he can still be used for breeding for about three years,” Visser said by phone on Monday. “He was bought solely for his blood and genetics.”
Driven by growing demand from international hunters for exotic and large horned animals, South Africa’s game ranching industry is worth close to R12bn (about $884m) a year and is growing at about 10% annually, according to Barclays Africa Group. Mystery, a tuberculosis-free buffalo with a 1.35m horn span, was bought for R40m(about $3m) by a group including billionaire Johann Rupert in 2013, while Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa sold three white-flanked impala antelope for R27.3m last September.
Other breeds fetching high prices include golden gnus, where a recessive gene gives the normally blue-black wildebeest a yellowish coat.

Source: News24