2 February 2016

SPCA strongly opposes US auction of animals killed in NZ by trophy hunters

The largest trophy hunting organisation in the world, US-based Safari Club International (SCI), is about to auction dozens of animals killed in New Zealand – and SPCA New Zealand is strongly opposed to it.

“We are opposed to trophy hunting, where animals are killed simply for entertainment,” says Ric Odom, CEO of SPCA New Zealand.

From 3 to 6 February in Las Vegas, Nevada, SCI will hold a series of ‘hunt auctions’ in which animals killed in countries around the globe will be auctioned. Among the items to be auctioned will be animals killed in 28 hunts in New Zealand, including red deer, Arapawa ram, chamois, fallow deer, Himalayan thar, sambar deer, and sika deer.

“Hunting is legal with the appropriate permits and can sometimes be justified to put food on the table or to control pest populations. However, it must always be done in a humane way to prevent unnecessary suffering for the animal,” says Mr Odom.

“Trophy hunting is often carried out by amateurs with limited hunting proficiency so the risk of unnecessary suffering for the animal is increased. And we oppose bow hunting because it also increases the likelihood of the animal suffering before it is killed.”

ends

© Scoop Media