Should Rhino be Culled? (4-minute Video)

The game ranching industry in South Africa in the 1960s was based primarily on venison production and a small amount of photographic tourism.

There was very little demand for white rhinos because they were specially protected animals; they couldn’t be safari hunted.

Private landowners didn’t want rhinos because they required much capital investment in fencing and security. They were also in competition for food with other wildlife species that could generate income. The rhino was valueless.

Faced with an overpopulation of rhinos, a looming drought, and no market to offload the rhinos into, the authorities considered the option of culling.

Culling was part of adaptive management at the time. All animal populations were subjected to control of some kind.

The authorities decided on a different approach, deregulation of the species. This meant private rhino owners could now offer the animal for hunting safaris.