Permit to hunt black rhino auctioned
A permit to hunt and kill an endangered black rhino in Namibia has been auctioned for $350,000 (£212,000) at a Dallas convention.
The hunting permit was auctioned to an anonymous bidder by Dallas Safari Club (DSC) during its annual convention, which took place between January 9 and 12.
Conservation charities have slammed the auction, yet club officials say all the proceeds will go towards rhino conservation in Namibia and the hunt will be for an old, non-breeding male rhino in Mangetti National Park.
The safari club claims that such individuals can be territorial and aggressive, often charging and killing younger rhinos. DSC officials claim that removing these individuals may improve survival rates of other rhinos.
In a post on the International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) website, however, these claims were referred to as "a deeply twisted effort to put a responsible spin on trophy hunting."
The charity's regional director for North America, Jeffrey Flocken, said: "All the DSC is accomplishing is kicking up more enthusiasm for hunting in an era when conservationists are struggling to prevent mass extinctions.
"Instead of helping the conservation cause, as they claim to be doing, the Dallas Safari Club is sending the message that killing endangered animals is not only fun, but conscientious as well. Nothing could be further from the truth."
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