The fate of a magnificent white rhino bull at Lalibela Game Reserve near Grahamstown scheduled to be trophy hunted for some R1.5-million this weekend, will only be known this afternoon.
Grahamstown High Court Judge Phakamisa Tshiki yesterday evening said he would hand down judgment on an urgent interdict to stop the trophy hunt, which also includes two lions and a buffalo, at 2pm today.
Tim Fenner, owner of the luxury eco-tourism lodge Kichaka, has taken on Bayeti and Lalibela in the Grahamstown High Court to urgently stop the hunt.
Kichaka is a member of a conservancy made up of, among others, itself, Lalibela and Bayeti.
Bayeti owns all the animals on the massive reserve and is tasked with managing the game in terms of a conservancy agreement with other members.
Members of the conservancy – billed as being a large eco-tourism habitat where game, including the big five, roam freely – have fallen out over the proposed hunt.
Kichaka’s counsel advocate Ben Ford, SC, yesterday argued the hunt was contrary to the conservancy agreement which stipulates strict conditions for game management and culling.
These include culling be conducted in a manner that does not impact on the eco-tourism business of members of the conservancy, that the number of game and species to be culled is annually agreed to by all members of the conservancy committee and all members be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting.
Ford yesterday said not a single one of these contractual requirements had been met.
Advocate Shaughan Cole, for Bayeti, yesterday dismissed there had been any contravention of the conservancy agreement and accused Fenner of sticking his nose in where it did not belong.
He said Bayeti was simply applying sound conservation ethics.
He said they were concerned the massive bull would not only impregnate his three-year-old daughter but it would break her hips because of its weight.
He said it was necessary to do away with the rhino bull in the most commercially viable manner as this would bring in funds to protect the other rhino from poaching.
He warned if the interdict was granted it would inevitably lead to other rhino dying either from poaching or because of the size of the bull.
Ford dismissed this and predicted “death and destruction” as hysterical nonsense to justify the unjustifiable.
He said there were numerous options available, including swapping the bull out for another bull, contraception of the female they were concerned about, or simply selling the bull to another reserve.
“All this emotive stuff of inbreeding and broken hips surfaced for the first time in 2015 when this R1-million (trophy hunt) was suddenly up for grabs.”
He said the judge was being asked to decide only whether or not there had been a contractual contravention and to grant the interdict to allow for mediation to take place on this issue.
The case has elicited huge public outrage and the public gallery of the court was filled with people protesting against the proposed hunt.
These included members of the national organisation Outraged SA Citizens against Poaching.
Fate of white rhino hangs in balance
Grahamstown High Court Judge Phakamisa Tshiki yesterday evening said he would hand down judgment on an urgent interdict to stop the trophy hunt, which also includes two lions and a buffalo, at 2pm today.
Tim Fenner, owner of the luxury eco-tourism lodge Kichaka, has taken on Bayeti and Lalibela in the Grahamstown High Court to urgently stop the hunt.
Kichaka is a member of a conservancy made up of, among others, itself, Lalibela and Bayeti.
Bayeti owns all the animals on the massive reserve and is tasked with managing the game in terms of a conservancy agreement with other members.
Members of the conservancy – billed as being a large eco-tourism habitat where game, including the big five, roam freely – have fallen out over the proposed hunt.
Kichaka’s counsel advocate Ben Ford, SC, yesterday argued the hunt was contrary to the conservancy agreement which stipulates strict conditions for game management and culling.
These include culling be conducted in a manner that does not impact on the eco-tourism business of members of the conservancy, that the number of game and species to be culled is annually agreed to by all members of the conservancy committee and all members be notified in writing of the outcome of the meeting.
Ford yesterday said not a single one of these contractual requirements had been met.
Advocate Shaughan Cole, for Bayeti, yesterday dismissed there had been any contravention of the conservancy agreement and accused Fenner of sticking his nose in where it did not belong.
He said Bayeti was simply applying sound conservation ethics.
He said they were concerned the massive bull would not only impregnate his three-year-old daughter but it would break her hips because of its weight.
He said it was necessary to do away with the rhino bull in the most commercially viable manner as this would bring in funds to protect the other rhino from poaching.
He warned if the interdict was granted it would inevitably lead to other rhino dying either from poaching or because of the size of the bull.
Ford dismissed this and predicted “death and destruction” as hysterical nonsense to justify the unjustifiable.
He said there were numerous options available, including swapping the bull out for another bull, contraception of the female they were concerned about, or simply selling the bull to another reserve.
“All this emotive stuff of inbreeding and broken hips surfaced for the first time in 2015 when this R1-million (trophy hunt) was suddenly up for grabs.”
He said the judge was being asked to decide only whether or not there had been a contractual contravention and to grant the interdict to allow for mediation to take place on this issue.
The case has elicited huge public outrage and the public gallery of the court was filled with people protesting against the proposed hunt.
These included members of the national organisation Outraged SA Citizens against Poaching.
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