Posted on 05/24/2015 7:17:35 AM PDT by boycott
Windhoek (AFP) - A US hunter who paid $350,000 to kill a black rhinoceros in Namibia successfully shot the animal on Monday, saying that his actions would help protect the critically-endangered species.
Corey Knowlton, from Texas, downed the rhino with a high-powered rifle after a three-day hunt through the bush with government officials on hand to ensure he killed the correct animal.
Knowlton, 36, won the right to shoot the rhino at an auction in Dallas in early 2014 -- attracting fierce criticism from many conservationists and even some death threats.
He took a CNN camera crew on the hunt to try to show why he believed the killing was justified.
"The whole world knows about this hunt and I think it's extremely important that people know it's going down the right way, in the most scientific way that it can possibly happen," Knowlton told the TV channel in footage released Wednesday.
"I think people have a problem just with the fact that I like to hunt... I want to see the black rhino as abundant as it can be. I believe in the survival of the species."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I have hunted for over 50 years...I have NEVER mounted an animal and I have never killed an animal that I didn’t eat.
Trophy hunters, IMO, aren’t even “hunters”...People who are “guided” for big dollars aren’t “hunters”...They are led by the hand to where the waiting animal is located and then just shoot...
If you don’t get out and do it on your own, you are worthless, IMO...
Now, if they had a program where somebody could pay to hunt poachers, think how many liberals would sign up to protect God’s creatures....
Do you really think that was his goal? Like one day he was sitting around, and then he suddenly thought, "What can I do to help save the black rhino?"
The hunt itself actually makes some sense. What I find a bit off-putting is the hunter's self-serving comments. It would have been better if he had kept his mouth shut, and let the park officials explain things.
Now, it would have been a different story had the hunter been contributing to a Save the Rhino fund for the last 20 years. But I doubt if he did.
This Black Rhino was on the north side of 29, not 17.
Yep nobody is a hunter unless they do it like you do gotcha! It’s the law in every state that game animals must be consumed, that same law is also recognized in Africa.
U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service -- International Affairs
Excerpts
Q: Why is the Service issuing permits for the import of a black rhino sport-hunted trophy?
A: Namibia implements a science-based management strategy for black rhinos that outlines clear goals and objectives for conservation of the country’s black rhino population. In 2003, Namibia instituted the Black Rhino Conservation Strategy for Namibia with specific management goals in the areas of range expansion, biological management, protection, policy and legislative framework, capacity-building and sustainability. As part of this strategy, Namibia authorized an annual harvest of up to five male black rhinos. The removal of limited numbers of males has been shown to stimulate population growth in some areas. Removing specific individuals from a population can result in reduced male fighting, shorter calving intervals, and reduced juvenile mortality. All known black rhinos in Namibia are ear-notched to assist in identification and monitoring. This ear-notching system makes it possible for the Namibian government to select specific individuals for culling based on age, reproductive status and other factors that may contribute to the overall health of the population.
Further, the Namibian government requires a significant contribution to the Game Products Trust Fund (GPTF) for any sport hunting of black rhino to ensure revenue is directed toward conservation. Money accrued from trophy hunting of black rhinos has been used to fund annual black rhino counts, improve rhino crime investigation and prosecution, and ensure the traceability of all rhino horn owned by Namibia.Q: Is the Service concerned that the issuance of these permits will prompt a flood of additional applications?
A: The Service has received four applications to date, three for rhinos from Namibia – one of which was issued in April 2013 and two others that are being issued in April 2015 – and one from South Africa, which was withdrawn. Although we anticipate receiving additional applications now that we have issued permits, the Service can issue only up to 10 import permits annually (five each for Namibia and South Africa), since this would be the maximum number of exports that could be made under South Africa’s and Namibia’s CITES-approved quota. However, we have not determined whether imports from South Africa would meet the requirements for import under the ESA and CITES.
In addition, although we have issued one permit for an import from Namibia and intend to issue two others, we have not determined that all such imports could be authorized. The review of any future applications will be based on the eligibility of the applicant, biological data of the specific black rhino being hunted, as well as any new information available at the time the application is received.Q: How many import permits has the United States issued for black rhino sport-hunted trophies?
A: The On March 26, 2015, the Service announced its intention to issue two permits for the import of a sport-hunted black rhinoceros trophy. The Service also issued one permit for the import of a sport-hunted black rhinoceros trophy in April 2013. Upon issuance of the April 2015 permits, three permits will have been issued.
End excerpts
I don't know them for sure (of course), but I'm putting this guy in the same category as the career politician who says "I'm running for re-election solely to help the people."
Yeah, right.
By the way, I'm not objecting to the hunt, just the self-serving way the hunter explained himself. As I mentioned in my post #43, he should have kept his mouth shut and let the park officials explain things.
The whole thing appears to me to be responsible control and protection of wildlife and endangered species. I don’t know how long rhinos live but I’m pretty sure 29 is near the end of their re-productivity.
Well, that's true, for sure. Hunting and fishing license fees make up a big part of state conservation funds.
But, be honest. Suppose you were at Cabelas, standing in line to get your deer-hunting license. And the guy in front of you says to the clerk, "I'm buying this license to save the deer." Wouldn't that be a bit off-putting?
As an at present “non breeding male” of my species I object to this on so many levels. Couldn’t they have just set up a couple of bathtubs in the wild,played some music, given him some Cialis or Viagra and let him and his younger date have a nice romantic evening?
Conservatives think. Liberals feel.
What an great and incredible achievement, only a warped mind would be proud of.
“It’s just me but I wouldn’t get much thrill out of killing such an animal”
Look at it like this. If the park rangers shoot the Rino its just another dead Rino. If the rich guy shoots the Rino they get $350,000 much needed dollars. Either way the Rino bites the dust.
The guy killed a past breeding age rhino that was attacking younger bulls and put $350,000 into the rhino conservation effort. Good for him. He did a thousand times more for rhino conservation than any ten of the hand wringing, emotive nay sayers posting here. Whenever something like this comes up what you see is a lot of truly monumental ignorance.
Trophy hunters do far, far more for conservation than any pot hunter.
Don’t think so, Dusty...
There is fox hunting and bobcat hunting, just to name a couple, that don’t require consumption.
How so?
Ted Nugent is the same way. I saw him say the he had killed his last porcupine ... said it tasted like a creosote post.
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