SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COURT ALLOWS HUNTING ALONG KRUGER BOUNDARY

PRETORIA (April 24, 2005) -- The South African High Court in Pretoria has ordered the Limpopo provincial government to begin issuing hunting permits to game farms and preserves situated along the boundary of Kruger National Park.

The order was made conditional on the province being able to suspend hunting at any point in the future, provided such a decision was “reasonable, lawful, and procedurally fair.”

In January of this year, the Limpopo government gave permission for ranches along the boundary to hunt elephant, Cape buffalo, and some species of antelope, but on March 29 the order was rescinded, citing a “conflict of interests.” By that time, hunting trips had already been sold to hunters in Europe and America, and in some cases the hunters were en route to Africa.

A consortium of ranches and preserves then mounted a court challenge to the government order.

The main hunting season in South Africa is from April to September.