CITES Expands Hunters' Role in Black Rhino, Leopard Management

PRESS RELEASE

Release Date: For Immediate Release

TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 6, 2004 - Safari Club International has been instrumental in helping make hunting an important part of the management of two important African wild species, resulting in permits for black rhinos and added permits for leopards from South Africa and Namibia. The action was taken during the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species' Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, Oct. 2-14 in Bangkok, Thailand.

CITES delegates representing 156 countries agreed in committee to allow the export of five black rhinoceros hunting trophies each from Namibia and South Africa, marking the first time in several decades that hunting this species has been approved of by this international body. CITES agreed also to almost triple Namibia's leopard hunting export quota from 100 to 250 animals per year, and double South Africa's leopard quota from 75 to 150 animals per year.

"Since 1983, Safari Club has been actively involved in CITES," said Tom Riley, SCI executive director. "It has attended every Conference of Parties and most Animals Committee meetings since then, and now attends the CITES Standing Committee meetings as well. Its efforts in drawing attention to the benefits that well-managed hunting-conservation programs bring to the survival of wildlife species were crucial to CITES' decision to let hunters help in conserving these quintessentially African species."