Jul 5, 2009, 15:26 GMT
Johannesburg - A planned sale of up to 350 rhinoceroses from South Africa's Kruger National Park has run into sharp criticism from animal rights activists.
Some of the animals would likely be sold to ranches where they could be shot by trophy hunters, said Steve Smit of Animal Rights Watch, quoted in theSouth African Sunday Independent. He said the park is sending the wrong signal on nature conservation.
'It sends the message that the park should be treated like a profit-making hunting ranch that sells animals to hunters.'
South African officials sold about 473 of the animals between 2002 and 2008 for an average price of about 19,500 dollars. Big game hunters have been known to pay between 50,000 and 100,000 dollars for the right to kill one of the animals. Almost 200 rhinos were killed by hunters in 2007.
About 7,000 white rhinoceroses live in the south of Kruger Park. They are regularly hunted by poachers. Twenty-two dead rhinos have been discovered so far this year.
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