Durban - Proceeds from the tender to hunt a white rhino
advertised by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife will benefit impoverished residents of KwaMduku
in Mkuze, the conservation body's CEO said on Wednesday.
"Proceeds of the tender will go to the community and
they will use the money for conservation purposes," Bandile Mkhize said.
Animal rights groups had criticised Ezemvelo for putting out
a tender to hunt a white rhino last year. A KwaZulu-Natal businessman
reportedly won the right to kill the rhino for R969 000.
"The tender was advertised at the request of the
community that owns the reserve as they needed funds for conservation,"
Mkhize said.
"We are working with professionals. All decisions are
made on scientific evidence and we do our homework before we take the decision
to issue out a tender to hunt a rhino."
He said they were not breaking the law because the hunting
was done in a controlled environment and the animal not sold on the black
market.
"Hunting is legal if it is done within the prescribed
laws."
According to Mkhize, KwaZulu-Natal is among the three
provinces that had reduced rhino poaching in the past two years.
For 2012 Ezemvelo has advertised tenders to hunt animals including giraffe, nyala, zebra and warthog.