WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In connection with its annual convention and expo this weekend, the Dallas Safari Club today announced it would auction to the highest bidder the opportunity to hunt an African elephant, a species currently in the midst of a severe poaching crisis.
Jeffrey Flocken, North American Regional Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), issued the following statement:
"After last year's shocking auction to kill a critically endangered black rhino, we are saddened to see that the Dallas Safari Club is yet again auctioning off the chance to kill for sport a species threatened with extinction. Elephants are in enough danger as it is, with one being killed every 15 minutes for its ivory tusks. To offer a wealthy trophy hunter the chance to kill an elephant and then to call it conservation really is beyond baffling. The public already expressed their outrage and disbelief over DSC's 'kill it to save it' spin behind the black rhino auction. It's just as transparently senseless and disappointing that the Dallas Safari Club is doing it all over again, but this time with imperiled elephants."
Elephant populations in Africa have crashed in the last century, showing declines up to 95 percent, and as few as 420,000 of these majestic animals may be left on Earth. Elephants are being slaughtered at an alarming rate to feed the growing market for ivory. The U.S. is currently reviewing new policies to help protect elephants from this dire situation.
About IFAW
Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visitwww.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
SOURCE IFAW
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