“You can’t fight the killing of rhinos by killing rhinos. “We think it’s absurd to incentivize the killing of endangered species for profit,” Pierce said. Jeff Pierce, an attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund, told KERA that hunting a critically endangered rhino makes no sense. However, there are only two northern white rhinos left, which are female and are protected by armed guards. (apart from pseudo-hunting) were white rhino horn, in the region of 12.6. There is estimated 18,000 southern white rhinos currently, and they are considered near threatened. enforcement official to attend every hunt, and to require prospective hunters. Even Bob Barker, the legendary game show host, sounded off about the auction, calling it a “cheap thrill,” and asked the Dallas Safari Club to call off the event. The white rhino has two subspecies the northern white rhino, and the southern white rhino. There are about 4,000 or 5,000 black rhinos around the world. The club says the rhino was likely to be targeted for removal anyway because it was becoming aggressive.īefore the auction, various club members had received death threats, and the FBI investigated.Ĭritics of the auction say all members of an endangered species should be protected. Fish and Wildlife Service and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Ĭarter says the rhino to be hunted is an old bull that's past the point of helping sustain the herd. The club points to letters of support from such organizations as the U.S. 'The scientists are the ones that are telling us this is the most effective way to raise money to save the rhino and expand the black rhino population,' safari club executive director Ben Carter told KERA. The only two remaining northern white rhino are kept under 24. The safari club has said 100 percent of the money raised would go toward conservation efforts. But the western black rhino and northern white rhinos have recently become extinct in the wild.

Knowlton says his goal is to support black rhino conservation efforts. He told KTVT (Channel 11) Wednesday that some people 'are wanting to burn my house down.' One threat read: 'I hope you die slowly and painful.' A North Texas man who paid $350,000 for the right to hunt an endangered African black rhino says he fears for his safety.Ĭorey Knowlton of Royse City says that after being revealed as the winner of last weekend's controversial Dallas Safari Club auction, he's received death threats and has hired full-time security.

Rhinoceros hunt