Govt issues permit to hunt N$1,4m rhino

Government last month issued a permit to a private farmer to shoot a white rhino bull as a trophy worth N$1,4 million for a Chinese client.

The permit was granted to the Lamprecht family for a hunt on their private farm in eastern Namibia under the supervision of a senior conservationist from the ministry of environment.

Although the operation was legal, the hunt, which took place on 12 November, has already raised questions from some concerned individuals as to why government continues granting permission for hunting rhinos at a time the country was grappling with the problem of poaching.

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta was recently quoted in the media saying poaching had not reached crisis levels in Namibia and that the country still has plenty of rhinos.