20 FEBRUARY 2008

THE AUCTIONING OFF OF 50 WHITE RHINOS: SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS DOUBLESPEAK

The press release SANParks put out yesterday (19/02/08) is a deliberate attempt to mislead and control public perception through propaganda, misinformation,
manipulation and smoke and mirrors.

SANParks with its obfuscating language, never-ending privatization and commercialization of our National Parks and the animals entrusted in its care, is fast losing any credibility as a trustworthy conservation agency. Instead it seems to be driven by financial motivations and morally and ecologically bankrupt and rampant ‘sustainable use’ policies (a product of both colonial and apartheid rule). This is literally translating into a war against wildlife.
Wild animal, who were victims and suffered under colonialism and apartheid, now continue to be victims under sustainable use policies, which are turning living beings into mere commodities.

Protected areas and reserves should be a place of sanctuary for wildlife and conservation agencies have a responsibility towards these animals from the cradle to the grave. The sale of animals in our Parks is driven by an economic imperative. National and provincial conservation authorities maintain that animals are being sold because they are either ‘problem animals’ or ‘surplus animals’ but there is no evidence for this and the real reason seems to be financial gain and to boost the operating budget of the SANParks. These economic enticements are resulting in more animals being removed than populations can withstand.

There is NO scientific or ecological reason to remove 50 rhinos from our national parks. We have yet to see scientific data demonstrating that there is a rhino surplus or any rationale in targeting these specific individuals. There is no doubt in our minds that SANParks is disregarding its own department’s regulations and have not conducted Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
before offering these rhinos up for auction.

There is also real cause to be concerned about the animals' welfare, during capture, transportation and after the sale. Often these animals are shot within days of their traumatic relocation. It is also likely that mothers and calves will be split up - wildlife dealers prefer mothers and calves because they get "two for the price of one" and can make a profit by splitting them up. The mothers and calves will be separated, with the young rhino possibly landing up in a zoo while the mother is sold to a trophy hunt.

SANParks and provincial conservation authorities have a long (and documented) history of supplying animals to private landowners, for hunting and to zoos and they do not seem to be concerned about what the fates of the animals are once they are sold. On the one hand, SANParks says it goes totally against their mandate and legislative regulations (hunting is in contravention of the
soon-to- be defunct National Parks Act) to allow hunting in the national parks, but on the other hand, they appear to be facilitating and encouraging trophy hunting and the killing of the animals that are in their custody.

Why is SANParks not lobbying its own department to stop hunting? Instead, by all accounts, it seems to be trying to look for loopholes to allow national heritage to be sold off and hunted. The disingenuous SANParks press release did not deny that they would not be hunted: contracts of sale do not stipulate that the animals sold – those supposedly protected by legislation against hunting - may not be hunted and from our understanding there is no system or process in place to inspect destinations or adequate checks and balances in place to monitor and ensure that the animals that they have sold are not cruelly treated.. And hunted they most certainly will be (currently prices for white rhino trophy hunts on Hunt Network are R600 000 per rhino).

SANParks profits from sales of animals have increased dramatically, particularly within the last few years. Trade is lucrative and Parks are becoming increasingly dependent on it as an income generating method. Animal are literally paying with their lives. National Parks are sites of global biodiversity and wildlife heritage and, as a result, these areas should not be made to ‘pay to stay’ but should be paid for and funded by governments and international sources.

In our view, the biggest threats to the preservation of biodiversity in South Africa are the DEAT and SANParks wildlife management and commercialisation programmes and the declining government subsidies. There has been no meaningful transformation of the wildlife sector and policy frameworks. Government seems to be more concerned with commercialisation of protected areas and increasing ‘resource use’ practices than complying with their legal mandate to ‘conserve nature’.

Said ARA spokesperson, Michele Pickover : “It certainly appears as if the SANParks and South African government are displaying an intransigent attitude in favour of so-called ‘resource’ exploitation. However, they are merely trustees on behalf of ordinary South Africans and therefore they need to take other viewpoints and issues of long-term sustainability and ethical issues into consideration. There needs to be vigorous public debate with respect to those areas set aside as parks and protected areas.”

Ends.

For more information on Animal Rights: www.animalrightsafrica.org