BJWDF USA IN THE NEWS

Gentle Giant that faces firing squad
Just $60,000 could save rare rhino from 'Canned Hunt'.

Her name means Pretty One - and she is so tame that toddlers can feed her by hand. But this East African black rhino, one of the world's rarest mammals, is living under a death sentence in South Africa. Her American owner threatens to let her be "blown away" within a month to help pay his bills. David Laylin is willing to let her be shot by a European hunter, ready to pay $150,000 to get a trophy for his wall.

Yet Mr. Laylin, 64, admits "canned" hunting - when the animal has no chance of escape - is "horrible". He says: "It is like a snuff movie". The rhino would be put in a compound where the hunter could "stalk" her before shooting her with a high powered rifle. Mr. Laylin, former professional hunter based in Virginia, said he would let Baixinha - Portuguese for Pretty One - live and go to a new home for just $60,000.

The proposed killing was condemned yesterday by the South African equivalent of the RSPCA. And yesterday British wildlife groups mounted an international campaign to reprieve the rhino, which at 24 is of prime breeding age. Care for the Wild and the Born Free Foundation want to fly her to a reserve run by the George Adams Wildlife Preservation Trust in Tanzania. Care for the Wild's Chris Jordan said: "We will never pay for her as that would set a terrible precedent. But we believe we can save her by putting pressure on the owner - and then take her to join a breeding program".

There are only about 490 East African black rhinos left in the wild in Kenya and Tanzania following a poaching bloodbath. The total population of all types of rhino has plunged from about 100,000 in 1990 to about 11,000 today.
Baixinha was born in an Italian Zoo. Mr. Laylin bought and shipped her to a game farm near Pretoria to start a breeding program. But two males brought in as studs died in transit and the program failed. The farm's owner, John Brooker, said yesterday: "Mr. Laylin has invested a lot of money in this program. He does not want the rhino to be shot, but he said, 'What am I supposed to do with it? Nothing is going to happen so, what the hell, go and blow it away'."

Mr. Brooker, 56, feels that would be a tragedy, as female black rhinos breed until they are about 34 and Baixinha could easily have another three or four calves. But the rhino can be shot legally because she is not indigenous to South Africa. Baixinha is very tame, Mr. Brooker added: "My three year old daughter Samantha feeds her. But to a hunter this is another trophy." Last night Mr. Laylin said he had spent over $370,000 on the breeding program, and could not afford to just give Baixinha away. But the rhino, which he described as "a sweet, sweet animal" could be saved if someone came up with $60,000.

Will Travers, of the Born Free Foundation, said the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust was willing to take Baixinha to Tanzania to join its breeding program. He said: "if Baixinha is shot people will be up in arms around the world."

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