A public and media outcry followed the release of information that a KZN businessman, who has not been identified, made a winning bid of R969 150 for the right to hunt a male white rhino in Mkuze Game Reserve. Rhino hunting permits are actually issued far more often than you might think.

Speaking yesterday, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife CEO, Bandile Mkhize, said Ezemvelo did not stand to gain anything from the tender, which was meant to benefit the Makhasa community, which runs a 1 500 hectare reserve in Mkuze.

He stated that:

…such an outcry is only raised when the hunt stands to benefit the poor rural community of KwaMduku.

The animal rights groups have been quiet throughout the year when 23 rhino hunting permits were issued to private game reserves, but are up in arms when such permits stand to benefit a poor black community.

That’s correct: 23 other rhino’s have been legally hunted recently via the issuing of permits.

He continued:

[The decision is] based on sound ecological, demographic and genetic wildlife management grounds. We feel more than justified that we have followed defendable principles and protocols.

Co-founder of Animal Rights Africa, Steven Smit, didn’t agree with Mkhize entirely:

This is blatantly a red herring to divert public attention away from the immorality of trophy hunting and the fact that Ezemvelo’s policies on hunting and the sale of live animals from its parks for the purpose of hunting have yet to be subjected to a consultative process in which all interested and affected parties should have equal opportunity to contribute to the formulation of such policies.

And he’s correct: surely if there is such an outcry over the right to hunt one white male rhino, it needs to apply across the board?

Should we be hunting an animal that is declining faster in its natural environment than it is able to reproduce, in general, at all?

Mkuze is home to a large assortment of wildlife, and is renowned as one of the best bird spotting destinations in South Africa, but then again, so are many of South Africa’s reserves.

[Sources: AFP, IOL]