Who Needs “Old Highly Endangered Black Rhinos” Anyway?

Black rhinos in Ngorongoro crater

The fury continues over the  endangered black rhino that Corey Knowlton paid $350,000 to slaughter in Namibia, because after all the endangered black rhino is an old guy and who needs old endangered black rhinos anyway?

Bob Barker, host of the Price is Right and passionate animal rights activist, wrote an open letter to the Dallas Safari Club, who held the auction that allowed Knowlton to purchase a permit, issued by Namibia, to murder one of less than 5000 black rhino’s left in the world. Oh but don’t forget, that rhino’s life means nothing because he’s old!

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Bob Barker Urges Safari Club Not to Auction Off License to Kill Older Male Rhino

 For Immediate Release

January 10, 2014

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Dallas, Texas – As the Dallas Safari Club prepares to auction off a license to kill an endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia—a much-criticized move that the club has defended by explaining that it will preselect an animal who is “old and unable to reproduce”—TV icon Bob Barker has fired off a letter urging the club to call off the auction, writing, “As an older male myself, I must say that this seems like rather a harsh way of dealing with senior citizens.” Barker goes on to point out that killing an endangered animal for money is no way to fight poaching (that is, killing endangered animals for money).

Bob Barker’s letter to the Dallas Safari Club is available below.

Ben Carter, Executive Director
The Dallas Safari Club
13709 Gamma Rd.
Dallas, TX 75244

 Dear Mr. Carter:

I am writing to ask you to call off your planned auction of a chance to kill an endangered black rhino in Namibia. The rhino that your organization reportedly has in its crosshairs is an older “non-breeding” male who has apparently been deemed expendable. As an older male myself, I must say that this seems like a rather harsh way of dealing with senior citizens.

I can certainly sympathize with this animal’s plight (and I would think that many of your older members could as well). How many seniors have been written off simply because they have a certain number of birthdays under their belts? But just because you’re “retired” doesn’t mean you don’t have anything more to offer. In fact, I personally feel that I’ve accomplished a great deal since I quit my day job. Surely, it is presumptuous to assume that this rhino’s life is no longer of any value. What of the wisdom that he has acquired over the course of a long life? What’s the world coming to when a lifetime’s experience is considered a liability instead of an asset?

There are only about 5,000 black rhinos still alive in Africa. What kind of message does it send when we put a $1 million bounty on one of their heads? These animals are endangered for that very reason: money. What makes you any better than the poachers who kill rhinos to feed their families? At least, they are honest about their less noble motives. You try to dress up greed under the guise of “conservation.”

True conservationists are those who pay money to keep rhinos alive—in the form of highly lucrative eco-tourism—as opposed to those who pay money for the cheap thrill of taking this magnificent animal’s life and putting his head on a wall.

If you want someone’s head to go on a wall, pick mine. I will happily send you an autographed photo to auction off instead. My mug may not fetch as much money as that of a dead rhino, but at least we’ll all live to enjoy another sunrise in our sunset years.

Sincerely,

Bob Barker

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

Read more: http://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/bob-barker-urges-safari-club-auction-license-kill-older-male-rhino/#ixzz2qye3ugeT

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Black Rhino chewing on plants – I’m sure the critically endangered black rhino, targeted for death, would rather be doing this!

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society, has stated if Knowlton does in fact kill the rhino, HSUS will try to block Knowlton from bringing the rhino “trophy” back to the US. That would be some justice but I think the rhino would prefer to live out the rest of his life in peace instead of being hunted and murdered.

“The Humane Society opposed the Dallas Safari Club Auction and says it plans to fight Knowlton’s efforts to bring the black rhino trophy into the United States.

If Knowlton does hunt and kill the black rhino, he’ll need a special permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to import the animal into the country under the Endangered Species Act.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society, wrote in an online blog post that killing one endangered animal to save the species is an “Orwellian idea” and worries that it will inspire hunters to pay millions of dollars for the chance to kill orangutans, elephants or tigers.

“Where will it end?” wrote Pacelle. “The first rule of protecting the rarest animals in the world is to protect each living member of that species.”

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/16/us/black-rhino-hunting-permit/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

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Meanwhile, American wolves continue to be trapped, tortured and slain in the US and their deaths haven’t garnered one/thousandth the outrage  the black rhino’s plight has. Still I’m glad to see people waking up and realizing the brutality and senselessness of trophy hunting.  It’s all about respect you know. Corey Knowlton says he respects the Rhino. Yes, he respects the Rhino alright, right to his grave.

Corey Knowlton says he’s getting death threats and has hired a security firm for protection.  The “old endangered black rhino” should hire bodyguards too for protection, since his life is in mortal danger. It’s not fun being a hunted animal. Pot meet kettle!

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Posted in: Trophy hunting, Slob Hunters, Animal Cruelty

Photos: Courtesy Wikipedia

Tags: Endangered Black Rhino, Trophy Hunting, Namibia, Corey Knowlton, $350,000 for a life, Dallas Safari Club, Bob Barker, PETA, Wayne Pacelli, Humane Society of the United States, animal cruelty