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Bidding underway in South Africa’s first legal rhino horn auction

The aim of the auction is to protect rhinos from poaching.

The aim of the auction is to protect rhinos from poaching. Photo: Getty

South Africa’s first legal auction of rhino horns has opened for bids, with 264 horns up for sale after the owner of the world’s biggest private rhino herd won a court case against the government.

The rhinos were tranquillised before their horns were harvested making the operation painless.

It takes up to two years for the horns to grow back, said Pelham Jones, chairman of the Private Rhino Owners Association.

A court handed down the order on Sunday to allow the online auction to go ahead after the government delayed handing over the permit to rhino owner John Hume. Bidding is scheduled to close on Friday.

South Africa is home to more than 80 per cent of the world’s rhinos, whose population has been devastated by poaching for buyers in Vietnam and China where it is coveted as an ingredient in traditional medicine.

Mr Hume, who owns 1500 rhinos on his sprawling farm southeast of Johannesburg, has built up a stockpile of rhino horn as he regularly cuts them off his herd to protect against poachers.

rhino owner john hume

John Hume says money from the auction will go toward protecting his herd. Photo: Rhino Horn Auction

Global trade in rhino horn is banned under a United Nations convention.

Any horn acquired legally in South Africa could not be exported but conservationists have expressed concerns that domestic buyers could illicitly supply Asian markets.

Mr Hume has said he needs to sell horn to afford spiralling security costs which include armed patrols, helicopters and electric fencing to protect his her from poachers.

Citing South African government figures, the auction’s organisers say more than 1000 of the country’s rhinos were mutilated and killed by poachers last year.

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