Napha condemns ‘gay rhino’ video
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) has condemned a controversial rhino video posted by the Okonjima Nature Reserve on several social media platforms, calling it tasteless.
The association said they can only hope that that the video is aimed at creating sensation and not to caricature very real and concerning issues in Namibia.
The video, aimed at raising funds to protect the white rhinos at Okonjima, depicts a ‘gay’ white rhino which introduces himself as Ryan and narrates how he has he lost his “trophy husband” to hunters.
“I know some hunters have their eye on me too,” the rhino says, adding that what he really needs now is a “sugar daddy to take care of him and his straight friends” so that they can stay at Okonjima, safe from hunters and poachers.
Napha expressed shock at the ‘sugar daddy’ narrative.
“Apart from the twisted political message and staging that is signature to the liberal animal rights movement, the video also spreads inaccurate and false information about legal conservation hunting and Napha takes great exception and condemns it in the strongest possible terms.”
Sad state of affairs
The association added that if a Namibian organisation like Okonjima – which is affiliated to the Africat Foundation – has not realised the importance, validity and conservation value of regulated, legal and sustainable hunting, they have a very sad state of affairs.
“With surprise, we note the hypocrisy and irony of condemning and slandering legal hunting on the one hand, and at the same time threatening that the rhinos will be hunted if there are no donors” to save them.
Napha said the video screams of an alternative agenda behind the - at best - well-meant initiative.
“…Double standards are applied regarding hunting of animals, and… some species - of lesser value - are [regarded as] more dispensable than other iconic species.”
It said the current state of affairs, with tourism at the brink of collapse, might have distorted Okonjima’s viewpoint, and instead of promoting value to the habitat of these rhinos, they want to generate money from the rhinos.
True conservationists
“It takes a lot more than a questionable video with foreign narration to bring something tangible to real conservation. This while hundreds of freehold landowners and black rhino custodians are in the same boat, but are not making a mockery out of it and host these national resources [the black rhinos] on their properties even within these dire times. They are the true conservationists indeed.”
Napha added that lumping poaching and legal, regulated hunting together is “ludicrous” and “ignorant”.
“It is a well-established fact that trophy hunting in Namibia operates on very conservative quotas that have no negative effect on the larger population of a species whatsoever - especially for the so-called iconic species like the black and white rhinos, elephants and lions.”
WINDHOEK
The Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha) has condemned a controversial rhino video posted by the Okonjima Nature Reserve on several social media platforms, calling it tasteless.
The association said they can only hope that that the video is aimed at creating sensation and not to caricature very real and concerning issues in Namibia.
The video, aimed at raising funds to protect the white rhinos at Okonjima, depicts a ‘gay’ white rhino which introduces himself as Ryan and narrates how he has he lost his “trophy husband” to hunters.
“I know some hunters have their eye on me too,” the rhino says, adding that what he really needs now is a “sugar daddy to take care of him and his straight friends” so that they can stay at Okonjima, safe from hunters and poachers.
Napha expressed shock at the ‘sugar daddy’ narrative.
“Apart from the twisted political message and staging that is signature to the liberal animal rights movement, the video also spreads inaccurate and false information about legal conservation hunting and Napha takes great exception and condemns it in the strongest possible terms.”
Sad state of affairs
The association added that if a Namibian organisation like Okonjima – which is affiliated to the Africat Foundation – has not realised the importance, validity and conservation value of regulated, legal and sustainable hunting, they have a very sad state of affairs.
“With surprise, we note the hypocrisy and irony of condemning and slandering legal hunting on the one hand, and at the same time threatening that the rhinos will be hunted if there are no donors” to save them.
Napha said the video screams of an alternative agenda behind the - at best - well-meant initiative.
“…Double standards are applied regarding hunting of animals, and… some species - of lesser value - are [regarded as] more dispensable than other iconic species.”
It said the current state of affairs, with tourism at the brink of collapse, might have distorted Okonjima’s viewpoint, and instead of promoting value to the habitat of these rhinos, they want to generate money from the rhinos.
True conservationists
“It takes a lot more than a questionable video with foreign narration to bring something tangible to real conservation. This while hundreds of freehold landowners and black rhino custodians are in the same boat, but are not making a mockery out of it and host these national resources [the black rhinos] on their properties even within these dire times. They are the true conservationists indeed.”
Napha added that lumping poaching and legal, regulated hunting together is “ludicrous” and “ignorant”.
“It is a well-established fact that trophy hunting in Namibia operates on very conservative quotas that have no negative effect on the larger population of a species whatsoever - especially for the so-called iconic species like the black and white rhinos, elephants and lions.”
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