It saddens me that South Africa's proud conservation history is being eroded, in some part, by legislation which still allows rhino hunting to take place in protected areas. With law enforcement officers battling to effect compliance and loop-holes in the manner in which permits are issued the country is indirectly 'legalising' the poaching of a species with a 30 million year evolutionary history ... and a mere approxiamate 17 400 white rhino left on the planet are being killed illegally at a rate of almost 3 a week in this country.

I would like to see rhino hunting banned and a debate initiated on the view that conservation needs to pay for itself.

The Eastern Cape Parks Board (South Africa) is offering more than 30 white rhino up for auction at a game sale at the end of May 2010. Under the guise of following a committed biodiversity conservation ethic (removal of alien species), some of these rhino will no doubt have a bullet terminate their life under the custodianship of hunting outfitters (operating on private farms)who in turn provide the eastern countries (such as Vietnam and China) the permitted opportunity to further deplete SA's natural heritage.

In a sense I see this as 'legalised' poaching - adding to a loss of an average of 3 rhino poached a week in this part of the world. If rhinos are removed from protected areas and nature reserves (as is the case here) to potentially be hunted, what hope is there for the species?