21 May 09

No Green Hunt: The ‘Right’ to Slaughter Rhinos in Dwesa Nature Reserve Granted to Highest Bidder

3 white rhinos for article about Dwesa Nature Reserve allowing Vietnamese poachers to kill rhinos and ship horns to Vietnam.

Apparently, a “green hunt” isn’t as profitable as a rhino slaughter.

Or so it would indicate as the “right” to kill 6 White Rhinos in Dwesa Nature Reserve has been granted to the highest bidder, African Scent Safaris. Three of the rhinos have already been murdered, reportedly by Vietnamese clients, who have had the horns shipped to Vietnam.

The manager of the “commercial hunt” says his clients can do “whatever they want” with the horns.

It has also been reported that “clients” from the US are expected to kill the remaining rhinos.

According to SPCA inspector Vonny Strachan:

Expert knowledge could easily have been sought for advice on capture. Non-lethal control must remain the course of action for the reserve in respect of the remaining rhino. 

The rhinos who are to be slaughtered by the “highest bidders” are described as “tame as wild rhinos can be”, often seen grazing among cattle.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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1 Comment Posted in African Rhinos, Rhino Horn, Southern white rhino, White Rhinos by
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One Comment

  1. Brett Vieges
    March 4, 2011 at 11:07 pm

    The authorities (Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency) in charge of protecting the white rhino of Dwesa Nature Reserve (Wildcoast) have failed South Africans and the world by allowing 4 additional animals of the species to be poached this year (2011). One needs to question the conservation ethic of an Agency that has clearly lost its way in working with real conservation issues beyond the ivory tower of its offices in Southernwood, East London. Just recently the Agency also shot a male zebra which had escaped the reserve much to the displeasure of the tourist community.