South Africa on Friday granted permits to kill critically endangered black rhinos, leopards and elephants. “A total of 10 black rhinos may be hunted and 150 elephants,” the forestry and environment ministry announced.
The South African government also gave permits to kill leopards from seven years old in regions where the large cat populations are “stable or increasing”.
In 2019, the country earned around 1.4 billion rand ($92 million) from hunting, the government said. The money from government-approved hunting quotas goes towards rural communities where the hunts happen.
Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The government said its quota to kill rhinos was based on population estimates “which show an increasing trend at present”.
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