CONSERVATION groups are questioning SANParks’ management of the Kruger National Park (KNP) over concerns that commercial trade in rhinos is a serious threat to the species. 

The recent sale of 350 white rhinos to private enterprises and professional hunting groups has highlighted the change in focus of South Africa’s national parks from bio-diversity conservation to that of commercialisation.   
“Of great concern is the trend to allow Kruger animals to be hunted under the banner of so-called sustainable use, prompting various individuals and groups to call for an immediate intervention and the redefining of the term sustainable utilisation,” says a representative of the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary.

Animal Rights Africa (ARA) agrees: “ARA is extremely concerned about this government’s uncritical support for the ethically and scientifically flawed process of ‘sustainable use’. SANParks is under the arrogant misconception that this problematic and ill-defined phrase gives them the right to treat animals like commodities and sell off, exploit and destroy our heritage without end and with no consultation, transparency or accountability.  ‘Sustainable use’ is now just a euphemism for unsustainable killing, suffering and massive exploitation,” says ARA spokesperson, Michele Pickover.     
Conservation groups are petitioning for KNP management to cease all capture and relocation operations until a full public participation process has been followed to establish if the decision to capture and remove white rhinos has been determined on sound ecological facts. The conservation community is also calling for independent game and rhino surveys.   
At a media briefing at SANParks’ head office in Groenkloof National Park, Chief Executive, David Mabunda, addressed the issues of rhino sales and hunting in national parks.

“We need to dispel the confusion created in recent media reports, between the sale of rhino and hunting in and outside national parks. SANParks is guided in its decision to sell or distribute white rhino and other wildlife by Clause 55(2) (b) of the Protected Areas Act, 57 of 2003 (as amended), which states that ‘SANParks may, in managing national parks, sell, exchange or donate any animal, plant, or other organism occurring in a park, or purchase, exchange or otherwise acquire any indigenous species, which it may consider desirable to reintroduce into a specific park’.”

Mabunda went on to say that the decisions on off-take quotas of wildlife were scientifically determined, based on population growth, sex and age structure, spatial use, natural dispersal, resource distribution and population dynamics.

“SANParks sells and donates rhinos and other large mammals for both the management of its own populations and also for meta-population management. The SANParks strategy is informed by the following objectives: population control, broadening of the range for populations, spreading the risk of managing wildlife, making the populations more resilient and viable, and fundraising for specific conservation and land-expansion programmes,” he added.

 “South African rhino populations are not endangered and can be sold or exchanged, however South Africa has made a conscious decision not to allow trophy hunting in national parks,” said Mabunda. “Much has been said about Kruger National Park animals being sold to entities that may put them up for hunting. I want to state up front that we do not have anything against hunting or hunters as long as they do not hunt within a national park. However, we will not allow SANParks to be abused by the anti-hunting lobby. We deal only with ethical operators and if we should learn otherwise, SANParks makes the decision not to continue doing business with them.”
Mabunda asserted that SANParks would not suspend the sale of excess rhino as long as national legislation and policies permit it and that the organisation would continue to sell and distribute the animals in accordance with its management strategies.