Rhino Hunting Permit up for Grabs at Auction

[indie9197]

Source: CNN

The Dallas Safari Club is sponsoring the auction and says, as surprising as it might sound, that it's being done in the name of conservation, to save the threatened black rhinoceros. The permit is expected to fetch between $250,000 and $1 million, and all proceeds will be donated to the Namibian government and will be earmarked for conservation efforts, club officials say.

The Dallas Safari Club says the Namibian government will closely monitor the winning bidder's hunting expedition. The club also insists that by allowing a handful of predetermined rhinos to be killed it's actually protecting younger, stronger rhinos.

"They've already picked out two or three black rhino males that are old, non-breeding males that are not contributing to the population anymore," Carter said. "We know it's the right way to do it. We're relying on science and biologists. This is the best way to support the population of black rhinos."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/10/us/black-rhino-hunting-permit/

---

At first it sounded like a bad idea, but with the Namibians choosing the Rhino, I think it actually makes sense.

[tomm2thumbs]

1. Hope Bob Barker buys it and tears it up

and sells the pieces of it to get his money back

[indie9197]

3. That would be cool if he could afford it

but by killing off the old males the species may benefit. The rhinos are endangered due to the price of their horns and additional money could help to prevent poaching as long as it isnt lost to corruption.

[CFLDem]

8. Yeah I think some Namibian gov't official

has already picked out the nice stuff he'll buy with the money.

[Canoe52]

2. If we don't kill them, they'll die!

[sakabatou]

4. *sigh*

Say hello to extinction.

[pipoman]

6. Really?

Did you read the OP?

[sakabatou]

24. No.

Fuck.

[pipoman]

5. Hunting license sales in the US

are a huge part of most state and federal wildlife conservation funding.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. Sounds like a real challenge.

A pre-selected old rhino.

Will it be chained to a tree?

Dude, buy yourself a penis pump, donate the million and leave old rhinos alone.

[Thor_MN]

9. Force the "winner" to eat the entire Rhino.

I have no issues with people hunting for food. Killing an animal for shits and giggles is psychopathic.

[7962]

15. From a family of hunters, I agree 100% nt

[Live and Learn]

27. +1 nt

[NickB79]

34. African safari game usually is eaten entirely

The safari hunters typically take the head and hide, and donate the meat to the nearest village.

[cosmicone]

10. Rhinos are cute

why not auction off a few "old, non-breeding" republicans who are not contributing to the society instead? David Koch anyone?

[hunter]

13. Or rhino hunters.

Give the old rhino a sporting chance that the rhino hunter will be taken down first!

That seems a fair way to do it.

[cosmicone]

14. utterly shocking response

from someone whose sobriquet is "hunter" !

[hunter]

16. My name is Hunter and I've hunted.

I've fished too, which is hunting underwater.

Certain sorts of hunting disgust me.

Hunting something plentiful (or even an invasive species) for food is reasonable to me. People are omnivores. No different than buying food in a grocery store, maybe even better in comparison to "factory farm" animals.

Pigs, deer... fine.

Bears, no. Wolves, no. Pumas, no. Not even coyotes unless they are causing serious trouble.

Rhinos, elephants, cetaceans... those are on my list of critters that ought to be protected.

I also don't like indiscriminate commercial fishing that damages the sea floor or fish populations.

It's not a black-and-white question.

[Jamastiene]

25. +1 n/t

[Jamastiene]

26. +1 n/t

[ronnie624]

11. No one bothers to explain

how killing an old, non-reproductive rhino "protects" younger, stronger ones. It sounds like bullshit, to me.

[petronius]

17. From what I've read elsewhere, there is a risk of fighting mortality in

male-heavy populations. So perhaps removing a non-breeding male removes a risk to younger and more productive males.

I think there's two separate issues in threads like this. On the one hand, it may be a totally appropriate conservation strategy to manage the age- and sex-balance of a population. But on the other hand, a person who takes pleasure in being led up to a selected animal just to kill it is still contemptible...

Here's what I found from googling:
http://www.savetherhino.org/rhino_info/thorny_issues/trophy_hunting/the_debate_about_rhino_hunting

[ronnie624]

19. Thanks for the link.

It says that among black rhino populations, especially in constricted areas, males are more of a threat to females and calves, and that aging, non-reproductive males use limited food resources that the more valuable members of the rhino populations need, so the claim does make more sense, now. I still find killing for the 'need' of an ego-stroking trophy, disgusting.

[NickB79]

35. It contributes money to wildlife protection programs to stop poachers

Sometimes, LITERAL rhino protection:

The death of an old, non-breeding rhino can fund a lot of that activity.

[ronnie624]

37. I'm certain that's what the bidders are thinking.

Actually, if that was their concern, they would just donate the money, instead of killing for sport.

[NickB79]

39. It's what the Namibian govt is thinking

They are the ones here who are truly concerned about the rhino's survival. The big game hunters, not so much.

But since it's very unlikely the big game hunters will pony up the money for nothing in return, allowing them shoot non-reproducing individuals is the least bad means to an end (obtaining funds to save the species as a whole).

And like other people on this thread have commented, there's nothing stopping a wildlife protection org. like WWF from bidding up and winning the permit and publicly destroying it.

[flvegan]

12. A pre-selected old rhino is "hunting"...right?

Fucking cowards. If one cares so much, donate the money and let the old fella live out his days.

[Gormy Cuss]

31. Well, for that price the organizers want to make sure Cheney bags a rhino.

Canned hunts are so sporty, after all.

[efhmc]

18. http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014636138

This is from October. I was pretty sure I had responded to it before. Then, as now, I find it disgusting.

[indie9197]

20. I saw it on the news last night.

The auction is tonight but there wont be any cameras allowed in case the winner wants to remain private.

Personnally, I think trophy hunting is almost as bad as trapping. As a kid, I shot bb guns and 22s for fun and I am a pretty good shot, but I dont enjoy shooting animals. I shot a bird one time, and felt terrible.

[Submariner]

21. I hope the shooter has a stroke while aiming his/her rifle

and gets trampled by the Rhino. Slimy parasites.

[indie9197]

22. I think the Namibians are exploiting their sliminess in a good way.

This may be something they would have to do one way or the other, and now they are being paid highly to do it. Hopefully the money will go to hiring more wildlife rangers. Plus the added money when the hunting party arrives for their "dangerous" hunt.

[Omaha Steve]

23. Didn't they auction one off just last November?

Only five a year my ass! No wonder they are close to extinct.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/more-sports/outdoors/20131030-dallas-safari-club-auction-of-black-rhino-hunt-draws-praise-criticism.ece

Dallas Safari Club's auction of black rhino hunt draws praise, criticism

By RAY SASSER Outdoors Writer [e-mail]
Published: 30 October 2013 10:27 PM
Updated: 30 October 2013 10:41 PM

The Dallas Safari Club has created an international debate over its plans to auction a hunt for a black rhinoceros, a species listed as endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Wildlife experts estimate about 5,000 black rhinos roam the wilds of Africa, 1,795 of them in Namibia, where the auction hunt will be. The Convention on International Trade has approved a sport-hunting quota of five black rhinos annually in Namibia and five in South Africa. Permits are typically issued to a safari outfitter, who sells them to hunting clients.

Safari Club executive director Ben Carter said the auction is a bold idea only because it involves an endangered species.

“Hunters have been paying for most conservation programs in the U.S. for many, many years,” Carter said. “But this has never been applied to an endangered species. It’s a big, bold idea, and it’s new. We expected a certain level of surprise, scrutiny and criticism.”

FULL story at link.

[tammywammy]

30. They announced the auction months ago, but it's actually tonight. n/t

[tabasco]

28. Humans are depraved

We will pay for our senseless destruction of our fellow creatures

[democratisphere]

29. I'm disgusted that a rich guy thinks he can buy the 'privilege' of what is illegal for all others.

Additionally, what gives anyone the right to put a majestic, endangered, living breathing black rhino before the equivalent of a firing squad.

[NealK]

32. That's totally disgusting.

[mokawanis]

33. I wouldn't feel sorry for the shooter

if the rhino ran his ass down and put him in a world of hurt.

[hamsterjill]

36. If they are "hunting" an old male

If they've already chosen the one or ones to be killed, it's not going to be much of a "hunt" in my opinion. The government will take the winner out on safari to ambush an old and no longer useful animal. My, that takes a lot of skill, right???!!!

Why not just follow the old guy until he dies naturally, and then cut his head off, mount it on the fireplace, and tell vivid stories about the dangerous trek that was the hunt?

That's all these stupid hunts are good for anyway. Some rich asshole telling tales to his rich buddies to make himself (or herself) feel big.

[LanternWaste]

38. It does tend to reinforce my belief not to allow trust to someone who kills for entertainment.

All things being equal, it does tend to reinforce my belief not to allow trust to someone who kills for entertainment.

[Paladin]

40. And don't forget: the lucky winner can recoup some or all of the permit cost.

All he or she has to do is sell the old, impotent rhino's horn to some more-than-willing buyer in China or Vietnam, somebody who thinks rhino horn can give them eternal boners or prevent cancer. Rhino horn is now worth more than gold, ounce-for-ounce. Would such a sale be illegal? Probably---but the safari types I've met over the years don't seem to be constrained by normal, everyday legalities.....

[olddad56]

41. why don't they just hunt the non breeding old men in Texas that are no longer contributing

to the population?