JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s first online auction of rhino horn opened on Wednesday, despite conservation groups protesting that the legal, domestic sale would encourage poachers.

The three-day selloff, organised by the owner of the world’s largest rhino farm, kicked off after a last-minute legal tussle pushed it back two days.

John Hume, who owns 1,500 rhinos on his farm north of Johannesburg, has stockpiled six tonnes of rhino horns and wants to sell 264 pieces weighing a total of 500 kgs.

Activists opposed to the sale fear it will fuel trafficking and undermine a 40-year global ban on the rhino trade. “There is a strong likelihood that rhino horns sold domestically could be laundered into the black market and smuggled out of the country,” said TRAFFIC’s wildlife trade specialist, Julian Rademeyer.

There was no comment from government following the opening of the auction, which comes after a South Africa’s top court lifted an eight-year moratorium on the domestic trade of rhino horns in April.

A legal challenge delayed the auction for two days, but Hume was given a permit for the sale on Monday.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2017