Almost 3000 people, some from as far away as India, Ireland and New Zealand have added their signatures to an online petition supporting court action to stop a white rhino trophy hunt at Lalibela game reserve outside Grahamstown.
Despite the counter on the online petition continuing to tick over, both Lalibela and Bayeti – the managing company of the entire conservancy of which Lalibela is a part – have indicated they intended fighting a high court interdict aimed at stopping the hunt, which, according to court papers, also included two lion and two buffalo.
Lalibela closed down its Facebook page this weekend after the Daily Dispatch reported on court action to stop the hunt.
There were reportedly several furious comments posted by people outraged by the planned hunt before the Facebook page was removed.
The proposed hunt has pitted the conservancy’s members against one another.
One prominent conservancy member, Tim Fenner, after learning of the planned “walk and stalk” rhino trophy hunt, urgently took Bayeti and Lalibela to court in a bid to stop it pending an arbitration between the warring conservancy members.
Fenner developed luxury eco-tourism Kichaka Lodge on the conservancy.
Bayeti, owned and directed by Lalibela founder Rick van Zyl, is legally the owner of all the game on the massive conservancy, but it may not hunt in the reserve except for culling purposes, and then only under the strictest of conditions specified by a conservancy agreement.
The petition on community campaign website Avaaz said it was aimed at showing the court that the public was outraged about the crisis hunting and poaching had caused to the rhino population.
The matter will be argued in the Grahamstown High Court on Thursday.
Kichaka Lodge’s Grahamstown correspondent attorney Mark Nettelton yesterday confirmed that both Bayeti and Lalibela had entered a notice of intention to defend the urgent interdict.
Irate Bayeti director Rick Van Zyl last week refused to comment on the hunt or the court action.
Thousands sign petition to prevent E Cape rhino hunt
Despite the counter on the online petition continuing to tick over, both Lalibela and Bayeti – the managing company of the entire conservancy of which Lalibela is a part – have indicated they intended fighting a high court interdict aimed at stopping the hunt, which, according to court papers, also included two lion and two buffalo.
Lalibela closed down its Facebook page this weekend after the Daily Dispatch reported on court action to stop the hunt.
There were reportedly several furious comments posted by people outraged by the planned hunt before the Facebook page was removed.
The proposed hunt has pitted the conservancy’s members against one another.
One prominent conservancy member, Tim Fenner, after learning of the planned “walk and stalk” rhino trophy hunt, urgently took Bayeti and Lalibela to court in a bid to stop it pending an arbitration between the warring conservancy members.
Fenner developed luxury eco-tourism Kichaka Lodge on the conservancy.
Bayeti, owned and directed by Lalibela founder Rick van Zyl, is legally the owner of all the game on the massive conservancy, but it may not hunt in the reserve except for culling purposes, and then only under the strictest of conditions specified by a conservancy agreement.
The petition on community campaign website Avaaz said it was aimed at showing the court that the public was outraged about the crisis hunting and poaching had caused to the rhino population.
The matter will be argued in the Grahamstown High Court on Thursday.
Kichaka Lodge’s Grahamstown correspondent attorney Mark Nettelton yesterday confirmed that both Bayeti and Lalibela had entered a notice of intention to defend the urgent interdict.
Irate Bayeti director Rick Van Zyl last week refused to comment on the hunt or the court action.
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