FOR the Maasai people of eastern Africa, killing a male lion is a rite of passage. Since it is "traditional" and lions are only classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), conservationists are relatively relaxed about it.
But what about wealthy trophy seekers from Texas or Shanghai? The pro-hunting argument is that the huge sums they are charged to shoot lions can be funnelled back into conservation – but many still harbour reservations about the morality of this practice.
Now the IUCN has upped the ante by sanctioning the hunting of a critically endangered black rhino (see "Conservation group backs killing rare rhino for cash"). It says the money raised will go into anti-poaching measures. If effective – and that's a big if – then conservationists may have to accept that killing rare species could be a way to save them.
This article will appear in print under the headline "Killing for cash to save the rhino?"
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