Canned Hunt?: Shoot/Kill An Animal To Save A Species?

[Tennesseer]

I am not sure what to make of this.  

An auction to win the opportunity to hunt and kill an aged, non-breeding male black rhino.  In return, the winning bidder's money (estimate to go anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million) will go toward black rhino conservation.  Is there no other non-killing auction way to donate funds to the conservatory?

The auction proceeds can clearly be used to help try to prevent the illegal hunting of these animals.  I get that.  But does an animal need to be killed?  How about a super luxury photo safari or something else.


'Save the Rhino' benefit auction features chance to kill one of the endangered animals

Save a critically endangered species by hunting it?

The Dallas Safari Club is preparing to auction off an opportunity to hunt an endangered black rhino in Namibia -- to benefit the Save the Rhino Trust.

"This fundraiser is the first of its kind for an endangered species," Ben Carter, DSC executive director, said earlier this month in a statement announcing the auction.  The auction, to be held in early January, is expected to fetch between $250,000 to $1 million, Carter told NBC 5 by phone Friday.

The black rhino is "critically endangered," according to the International Rhino Foundation. An estimated 5,000 live in the wild.

When asked about offering a chance to hunt a member of an endangered species, Carter said, "This is about saving a species, not one animal.

"The permit that will be auctioned is the first of its kind ever to be issued on behalf of the government of the Republic of Namibia outside of the country, Carter said.

In its press release, the DSC said that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has promised full cooperation with a qualified buyer.

More:

'Save the Rhino' benefit auction features chance to kill one of the endangered animals

[billisonboard]

Philantrophy
blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/10/stephen_colbert_hearts_dallas.php

[Tennesseer]

Oct 27, 2013 9:30:57 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Philantrophy
blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/10/stephen_colbert_hearts_dallas.php

Excellent Colbert talking points.

[Virgil Showlion]

How about a super luxury photo safari or something else.

I'd definitely be in favour of that too. The question is whether it could generate anywhere near as much money.

The general idea isn't without merit unless one subscribes to the idea that killing a rhino is morally (fundamentally) wrong. I'm a bit of a fence-sitter on the issue. For the sake of this discussion, suppose that I hold no moral objections to the killing of rhinos.

Regardless, the extinction of a species is a tremendous shame and waste. And notwithstanding moral objections, a canned hunt approach could have merit. After all, the ultimate objective is to prevent extinction of the rhino and to bolster its numbers as much as possible. If a million dollars could finance enough rhino conservation to reliably save three (say) black rhinos at the expense of one, then the tradeoff seems justifiable.

The big issue, of course, is the "if". You're automatically lending a certain prestige to the rhino hunt by running the contest, which you'd have to more than counteract using the funds raised for conservation. And then you'd have to ask yourself whether the conservation would be effective enough to trade the guaranteed death of one rhino for the possible salvation of x others. You could come up with a reasonable baseline for a decision, but it would be extremely tricky.

I don't know how much conservation $1M could buy. I don't know if it would go straight into the pockets of "conservationists" in Africa that couldn't care less about rhinos. I don't think anyone can predict how much the publicity for the hunt might affect people and motivate poaching or illegal hunts. And I suspect that running several group safaris to see a black rhino, rather than shoot it, which would obviously be a one-time event, could be vastly more profitable. Hence, gut feel: it's not a good idea.

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 27, 2013 9:30:57 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Philantrophy
blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/10/stephen_colbert_hearts_dallas.php

Can't watch anything that appears on the Comedy Network over the Internet in Canada. Region locking rules for content.

[Tennesseer]

Virgil Showlion-I think auction proceeds will have little to no affect on black rhino consrrvation.  The hunt for elephants' tusks and rhinos' horns continues unabated.  There is already millions of dollarss being spent to conserve these animals with little affect.

The hearts and minds of those that believe in the non-proven healing affects of animal body parts must change. Unfortunately, when and if they finally do, it may be too late for these animals.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 27, 2013 10:05:38 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Oct 27, 2013 9:30:57 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Philantrophy
blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/10/stephen_colbert_hearts_dallas.php

Can't watch anything that appears on the Comedy Network over the Internet in Canada. Region locking rules for content.

In essence, Colbert offers the suggestion more money may be bid ìf instead of hunting for a rhino, have an auction to legally hunt a member of the Dallas Safari Club.

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 27, 2013 10:23:22 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 27, 2013 10:05:38 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Can't watch anything that appears on the Comedy Network over the Internet in Canada. Region locking rules for content.

In essence, Colbert offers the suggestion more money may be bid ìf instead of hunting for a rhino, have an auction to legally hunt a member of the Dallas Safari Club.

Ah.

Well we've established that I don't "get" your sense of humour, and this wouldn't appear to be an exception.

[Artemis Windsong]

This could be a darting hunt.  These are sold by conservation groups to help scientists finance and gather health data.  A replica trophy is made from fiberglass.

I do need help deciding where to hang the replica in my 830 sf, $325,000 spite house.  I'll skip the auction and buy the fiberglass trophy over the internet.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 29, 2013 21:17:45 GMT -5 Artemis Windsong said:

This could be a darting hunt.  These are sold by conservation groups to help scientists finance and gather health data.  A replica trophy is made from fiberglass.

I do need help deciding where to hang the replica in my 830 sf, $325,000 spite house.  I'll skip the auction and buy the fiberglass trophy over the internet.

The article says kill and not dart the animal.

[justme]

I don't know about rhinos/auctions, but I remember reading and article a while back about elephants in Africa. They've had a real problem with poachers killer elephants for their ivory and then leaving the rest of the animal to rot, severely dwindling the population. One country decided to give different tribes "rights" to the elephants - basically giving them ownership of the elephants to either protect or to sell rights to hunt. While they still allowed a certain amount to be hunted, they were very fierce about protecting the herd that was there's and preventing it from dwindling more than they allowed. The numbers were actually rising in that country, I wish I could remember which one it is.

It's the age old quandary of the commons. If the elephants belong to everyone, no one has a stake to protect them, but if they belong to someone/tribe then they have a steak to protect them - especially if they can sell the rights to hunt them or the safari or whatever.

[billisonboard]

Oct 29, 2013 22:55:11 GMT -5 justme said:

... they have a steak to protect them ...

hmmmmm wish the right line would come to mind.

[Spellbound454]

Black Rhinos are be killed to extinction..... because some ignorant idiots think their horn has magical properties.

Its only hair. Its not even ivory.......Just a lump of keratin.......you may as well put your own hair or fingernails in your stupid voodoo potion.

I'm in favour of photo safaris before there isn't any animals left to photograph.

Or cut the rhinos horn off.... and release it back so that poachers won't want it.
By the time people have grown up and been educated....there just may be some animals left.