Feb 12, 2020, 17:18 pm
(This post was last modified: Feb 12, 2020, 17:21 pm by Resurgence. Edited 2 times in total.)
Botswana sold the rights to shoot 60 elephants for as much as $43,000 per animal in its first major auction since it lifted a ban on hunting last year, angering conservationists.
The rights were sold by an auction firm, Auction It Ltd., on behalf of the government on Friday in packages of 10 elephants each, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The packages are bought by operators who then sell them on to trophy hunters at a profit. In addition to the cost of the hunting rights, the tourists must pay the fee for a professional hunter to accompany them as well as taxidermy costs.
The packages for the hunts in different parts of the country sold for between 3.6 million pula ($326,520) and 4.75 million pula, according to the document. A seventh package didn’t meet the government’s reserve price of 2 million pula.
Botswana has the world’s biggest population of elephants, with about 130,000 of the giant mammals roaming the country’s swamps and savanna.
Tourism Ministry spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa declined to comment and Auction It referred queries to the government. Moeti Batshabang, Botswana’s acting wildlife director, said he couldn’t immediately comment.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi put elephants at the center of Botswana’s politics last year as he campaigned for October elections that the ruling party won. By lifting the hunting ban on wildlife in May, Masisi broke ranks with his predecessor Ian Khama, who had garnered international praise for his conservation policies.
Conservation and ecotourism would bring in more money for the country than killing off their natural heritage for quick profit.
Conservation and ecotourism would also improve their image around the world which would in turn bring in more tourist dollars.
Corruption, stupidity, and degradation continues apace.
https://news.yahoo.com/botswana-sells-el...30329.html
The rights were sold by an auction firm, Auction It Ltd., on behalf of the government on Friday in packages of 10 elephants each, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. The packages are bought by operators who then sell them on to trophy hunters at a profit. In addition to the cost of the hunting rights, the tourists must pay the fee for a professional hunter to accompany them as well as taxidermy costs.
The packages for the hunts in different parts of the country sold for between 3.6 million pula ($326,520) and 4.75 million pula, according to the document. A seventh package didn’t meet the government’s reserve price of 2 million pula.
Botswana has the world’s biggest population of elephants, with about 130,000 of the giant mammals roaming the country’s swamps and savanna.
Tourism Ministry spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa declined to comment and Auction It referred queries to the government. Moeti Batshabang, Botswana’s acting wildlife director, said he couldn’t immediately comment.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi put elephants at the center of Botswana’s politics last year as he campaigned for October elections that the ruling party won. By lifting the hunting ban on wildlife in May, Masisi broke ranks with his predecessor Ian Khama, who had garnered international praise for his conservation policies.
Conservation and ecotourism would bring in more money for the country than killing off their natural heritage for quick profit.
Conservation and ecotourism would also improve their image around the world which would in turn bring in more tourist dollars.
Corruption, stupidity, and degradation continues apace.
https://news.yahoo.com/botswana-sells-el...30329.html