JOHANNESBURG - Conservationists say there is no conclusive evidence that elephants, black rhinos and leopards are sufficiently abundant to justify trophy hunting.
This follows the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s decision to gazette new proposed hunting quotas for big game.
The proposal has drawn opposition from conservation groups concerned about the impact on already vulnerable species.
The proposed annual trophy hunting export quotas for 2026 and 2027 include 150 elephants (300 tusks), 12 black rhinos and 11 leopards. The move marks a return to regulated hunting after a freeze that has been in place since 2021.
Leopard hunting would be restricted to 11 designated zones across KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West. Only leopards aged seven years or older would qualify for hunting.
The proposed quotas are open for public comment until 6 March 2026.
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Megan Carr of the Wildlife Protection Forum of South Africa said the government relies on conservation bodies for wildlife population data.
“They are reliant on us to provide accurate figures on the number of animals in the country. If we don’t provide that science, it becomes difficult for them to determine how many leopards, for instance, could be hunted,” she said.
Carr said no comprehensive scientific population study has been conducted since 2015.
“We keep being told that hunting benefits many people, but we have yet to see a thriving community living alongside wildlife that can demonstrate those benefits. If it were so economically beneficial, why are we not seeing the results?” she asked.
Regarding black rhinos, Carr said the species is already classified as critically endangered globally.
“Hunters argue that they are targeting old males that are no longer breeding, but we don’t believe that is a sufficient justification. A small number of people benefit from the hunting, and scientifically, the figures simply do not add up,” she said.