South Africa's Kruger National Park is taking bids from private landowners for 500 of its white rhinos. Newspaper ads advise parties to "make a written offer to purchase white rhinos in batches of 20 or more." A previous sale this summer for 260 rhinos to private game reserves—where they would have been subject to hunting—was nixed amidst accusations that the (since-suspended) head of conservation for South African National Parks (SANParks) who approved the sale acted outside his authority.
Now, the rhinos are back on the block, although a SANParks board member told journalists that it will conduct background checks on prospective buyers and that buyers must agree to contribute to the conservation of the species and the growth of the rhino population as a whole. Officials did not, however, give any indication that hunting reserves would be excluded from the bidding.