SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Killing for Conservation? Outrage After Auction Winner Fells Endangered Black Rhinoceros
'What kind of precedent does this set?' asks wildlife conservationist
May 20, 2015
A Texas man who won a controversial $350,000 auction last year for a permit to kill a black rhinoceros on Monday felled one of the endangered giants in Namibia, prompting immediate condemnation from conservation groups and experts who say the slaughter sets a dangerous precedent.
The kill by 36-year-old Corey Knowlten, who hails from Dallas, was captured on video by a CNN team that accompanied him (warning: footage may be disturbing).
Knowlten and the Dallas Safari Club, which sponsored the auction in January 2014, have sought to spin the hunt as in-line with conservation efforts, as the money raised by the bid will allegedly go towards conservation and anti-poaching efforts. "I believe hunting through sustainable use is an awesome tool in conservation that can keep these animals going forever as a species," Knowlten said earlier this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, furthermore, claimed in March that "black rhino hunts associated with the imports of two sport-hunted trophies are consistent with the conservation strategy of Namibia."
But numerous conservation groups and experts strongly disagree with the auction.
"I am deeply saddened, disappointed and incredulous that [Knowlten] sees this mission as contributing to the survival of endangered black rhinos," said Jeff Flocken, regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare - North America, in a press statement released Wednesday. "[P]aying money to kill one of the last iconic animals on earth does not make you a conservationist."
Ronald Orenstein, Ph.D., wildlife conservationist, and author of the book Ivory, Horn and Blood: Behind the Elephant and Rhinoceros Poaching Crisis told Common Dreams that the rhinoceroses are endangered primarily by commercial illegal trade in horns, not trophy hunting. However, he warned, the Dallas Safari Club auction "sends the wrong message."
"One of the big problems with the current situation is that rhinoceroses have become seen as commodities, as a prestige item," said Orenstein. "The idea that it is alright to shoot a rhino for huge price sends the wrong sort of message about why and how we want to conserve these animals. If the money was the issue, and they wanted to raise money for conservation, there are other ways to do it."
"It commodifies the animal," Orenstein added. "What kind of precedent does this set?"
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
A Texas man who won a controversial $350,000 auction last year for a permit to kill a black rhinoceros on Monday felled one of the endangered giants in Namibia, prompting immediate condemnation from conservation groups and experts who say the slaughter sets a dangerous precedent.
The kill by 36-year-old Corey Knowlten, who hails from Dallas, was captured on video by a CNN team that accompanied him (warning: footage may be disturbing).
Knowlten and the Dallas Safari Club, which sponsored the auction in January 2014, have sought to spin the hunt as in-line with conservation efforts, as the money raised by the bid will allegedly go towards conservation and anti-poaching efforts. "I believe hunting through sustainable use is an awesome tool in conservation that can keep these animals going forever as a species," Knowlten said earlier this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, furthermore, claimed in March that "black rhino hunts associated with the imports of two sport-hunted trophies are consistent with the conservation strategy of Namibia."
But numerous conservation groups and experts strongly disagree with the auction.
"I am deeply saddened, disappointed and incredulous that [Knowlten] sees this mission as contributing to the survival of endangered black rhinos," said Jeff Flocken, regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare - North America, in a press statement released Wednesday. "[P]aying money to kill one of the last iconic animals on earth does not make you a conservationist."
Ronald Orenstein, Ph.D., wildlife conservationist, and author of the book Ivory, Horn and Blood: Behind the Elephant and Rhinoceros Poaching Crisis told Common Dreams that the rhinoceroses are endangered primarily by commercial illegal trade in horns, not trophy hunting. However, he warned, the Dallas Safari Club auction "sends the wrong message."
"One of the big problems with the current situation is that rhinoceroses have become seen as commodities, as a prestige item," said Orenstein. "The idea that it is alright to shoot a rhino for huge price sends the wrong sort of message about why and how we want to conserve these animals. If the money was the issue, and they wanted to raise money for conservation, there are other ways to do it."
"It commodifies the animal," Orenstein added. "What kind of precedent does this set?"
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare is the editor of Workday Magazine and a contributing editor for In These Times. She is a former Staff Writer at Common Dreams. She comes from a background in independent journalism for publications including The Intercept, The Nation, and Tom Dispatch.
A Texas man who won a controversial $350,000 auction last year for a permit to kill a black rhinoceros on Monday felled one of the endangered giants in Namibia, prompting immediate condemnation from conservation groups and experts who say the slaughter sets a dangerous precedent.
The kill by 36-year-old Corey Knowlten, who hails from Dallas, was captured on video by a CNN team that accompanied him (warning: footage may be disturbing).
Knowlten and the Dallas Safari Club, which sponsored the auction in January 2014, have sought to spin the hunt as in-line with conservation efforts, as the money raised by the bid will allegedly go towards conservation and anti-poaching efforts. "I believe hunting through sustainable use is an awesome tool in conservation that can keep these animals going forever as a species," Knowlten said earlier this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, furthermore, claimed in March that "black rhino hunts associated with the imports of two sport-hunted trophies are consistent with the conservation strategy of Namibia."
But numerous conservation groups and experts strongly disagree with the auction.
"I am deeply saddened, disappointed and incredulous that [Knowlten] sees this mission as contributing to the survival of endangered black rhinos," said Jeff Flocken, regional director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare - North America, in a press statement released Wednesday. "[P]aying money to kill one of the last iconic animals on earth does not make you a conservationist."
Ronald Orenstein, Ph.D., wildlife conservationist, and author of the book Ivory, Horn and Blood: Behind the Elephant and Rhinoceros Poaching Crisis told Common Dreams that the rhinoceroses are endangered primarily by commercial illegal trade in horns, not trophy hunting. However, he warned, the Dallas Safari Club auction "sends the wrong message."
"One of the big problems with the current situation is that rhinoceroses have become seen as commodities, as a prestige item," said Orenstein. "The idea that it is alright to shoot a rhino for huge price sends the wrong sort of message about why and how we want to conserve these animals. If the money was the issue, and they wanted to raise money for conservation, there are other ways to do it."
"It commodifies the animal," Orenstein added. "What kind of precedent does this set?"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy