Marching to extinction

The sport of hunting continues to come under attack, and a recent court ruling has forced the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to rescind a regulation that allowed hunting of three different species of African antelope on U.S. soil.

Matthew Beck/Chronicle

The fate of the scimitar-horned oryx is up in the air. Domestic hunting of animals such as this one, pictured last week on the Ross Hammock Ranch in Inglis, will be prohibitied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, due to a recent court ruling.

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The three species are the scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and dama gazelle. Due to habitat loss, human population increases, civil war and wanton, unregulated killing of these species in their native African habitat, all three species were driven almost to the point of extinction.

The oryx had not been seen in the wilds of Africa since the 1980s, and fewer than 1,000 of the addax and dama were thought to still exist. Zoos and private game ranches held small populations of these animals, and according to the Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group (SSIG) of the United Nations Environment Program, it is estimated that there are 4,000-5,000 scimitar-horned oryx, 1,500 addax, and 750 dama gazelle in captivity worldwide, many of which are held in the United States.

Based on a 2010 census of its members, the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) estimates there are 11,032 scimitar-horned oryx, 5,112 addax, and 894 dama gazelle on EWA member ranches.

That is a big discrepancy regarding the numbers, and I would tend to believe the EWA over the SSIG. With that said, it shows how the animals can not only survive here but thrive as well. EWA members know that conservation of the animals allows them to survive and provide a benefit for themselves and hunters.

The animal-rights group Friends of Animals sued the USFWS in federal court and prevailed. They want the animals back in their native land of Africa and detest that they are being killed here in the United States.

Effective April 4, 2012, it will require a special permit (which will be almost impossible to get) for a hunter to harvest one of these species from an exotic game ranch, if they can find one that still has the animals. The USFWS thinks that ranchers are going to continue caring for and feeding these exotics, although they will no longer be able to make money off of them. Think again.

“I used to have a nice little herd of scimitar,” said Inglis’ Ross Hammock Ranch owner Harold Ross. “But we are killing them all before the rule comes into effect. We used to take two to four of them every year and have two to four born. That’s conservation.”

Ranchers in the United States saw a chance to save these species several years ago and provide a service to hunters by allowing the animals to be harvested on exotic game ranches. Over the years, these animals have become popular game species for hunters, and it has been a win-win for the three species and the ranchers who feed and raise them.

Conservation-minded ranchers have done what ranchers do: use their land to raise, breed, feed and take care of animals so they in turn can pay taxes, feed their families and make a living. Now, would you continue to dish out hundreds and thousands of dollars every year so that an animal can run around on your property and be of no economic use?

Neither would I.

“This is a death sentence for the species,” Ross added.

Take a good look at the photograph that accompanies this story. Chances are pretty darn good this will be the last time you ever see this incredibly beautiful species, thanks to the Friends of Animals. I hope they never become friends of mine.

Dan Hermes is an outdoors writer based out of Inverness. He can be reached at danoutdoors2001 @yahoo.com.