Auas Motors officially handed over an Isuzu D-Max bakkie to the Black-footed Cat Research Project.
The vehicle is valued at over N$ 428 000 and is part of a three-year sponsorship agreement between Auas Motors and the Black-footed Cat Working Group.
The Black-footed Cat Working Group aims to conserve the rare Black-footed cat species by creating awareness and conducting multi-disciplinary research as the population of this wild cat is currently under risk of extinction due to factors such as carcasses poisoning and livestock overgrazing.
During the handover ceremony, Chief Operation Officer at Auas Motors, Gerhard Vermeulen expressed his gratitude for the project and its advocacy for the tawnyfurred cats.
Vermeulen also encouraged other organizations to continue playing their part in different efforts aimed at preserving wildlife and nature.
“just like global warming, we are all responsible for what happens to our flora and fauna, big or small and popular or not,” he said.
As part of the sponsorship, the car dealer has also committed to servicing and maintaining the vehicle throughout the duration of the sponsorship.
Morgan Hauptfleisch, an Associate Professor at the Namibia University of Science Technology, thanked Auas Motors and the Nictus group.
“Almost everything we needed was in place but there was a missing piece and thank you for filling the gap, thank you for being willing to participate as a wholly- Namibian company,” he said.
The Isuzu D-Max was handpicked for its supreme sturdiness and reliability as an offroad vehicle, an asset for the project as the activities of the project mainly require navigation of tough terrains.
TrenTyre, a sister company of Auas Motors enhanced the sponsorship with all-terrain tires for the sponsored vehicle.
“we would like the researchers to carry out their work with serenity and we will do everything we can to assist,” said Vermeulen.