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Green hunting

Green hunting or eco-hunting (green bullet concept, green darting, darting safari) is the practice of hunting game animals with tranquilizer dart guns or bows and the subsequent release of the live animals (remove dead link). Green hunting would typically be performed when tranquilization of the animal is necessary for veterinary, monitoring or translocation purposes. Green hunting has been advocated as a conservation-minded alternative to destructive sport hunting because it allows the hunter to experience the thrill of a traditional hunt without killing the animal, leaving the wildlife abundance undiminished and contributing directly to conservation initiatives. Though still costly (sometimes upwards of 25 000$ USD), green hunting is more economical as fees are lower than trophy hunting (up to 60 000$ USD). The fees finance the conservation project that necessitates an immobilized animal for micro-chipping, ear-notching, tissue collection or GPS tracking and any additional funds can be used to support the management of the protected area involved. The hunter must get within 30 meters from the animal to successfully dart it, significantly closer than required for traditional hunting. Green hunting can alleviate pressure on wildlife from trophy hunting, as the measurements and details of a tranquilized animal are accepted in hunting organization's record books and fiberglass replicas can be made for the hunter. The hunter may have the additional option to be kept regularly updated on the animals future movements if the darting was part of a GPS collaring project. Group darting safaris also exist, where a group witnesses the work, without participating in the procedure. Ideally, all green hunts involve a veterinarian to safely administer anesthesia and ensure procedures prioritize the well-being of the animal: the immobilization should occur in the morning when temperatures are cooler, the immobilized animals' ears and eyes should be covered to reduce stress while sampling, measurements and other procedures occur, after which an antidote is administered in order to reverse the tranquilization effect. Cat species are particularly vulnerable to anesthesia and should be monitored for 24 hours after immobilization. Criticism has sprung up over the possibility that in the interest of generating revenue, particular animals may undergo tranquilisation too frequently, culminating in a loss of legitimacy of eco-hunting in conservation circles.

History

The concept of darting animals for conservation purposes under the name of "green hunting" has been attributed to multiple sources in South Africa: Dr. Paul Bartles, head of the Wildlife Biological Resource Center of the National Zoological Gardens, the Wildlife Protection Service of South Africa as well the conservation organization Save the Elephants. The first documentation of green hunting is a GPS collaring project to track elephants at the Timbavati Game Reserve of South Africa in 1998. Sport hunting rhinos using tranquilizer darts had occurred prior to the concept of green hunting, but the practice increased significantly after support from conservation organizations and an important shift in the South African economy from the agricultural sector to the wildlife sector in the early 2000s. The loss of profitability in conventional agriculture through deregulation and changes in related policies and subsidies led to rapid conversion of farm land to game ranching, leading initiatives like green hunting to be widely and quickly implemented. The fees accrued from the green darting of the Big Five game species (elephant, rhino, cape buffalo, leopard, lion) became an important alternative to trophy hunting fees for financing conservation projects, including both private and public protected areas. Additionally, the negative reputation of trophy hunting was an concern for stakeholders as international tourism in Africa grew significantly. Green hunting was proposed as an innovative solution that could provide funding without the ecological repercussions caused by trophy hunting –namely the impact on population dynamics from the loss of prominent males. Green hunting was further legitimized in the hunting community after major hunting organizations such as Safari Club International, officially recognized measurements from tranquilized animals in their trophy record books. This garnered hopes that that eco-hunting could completely replace trophy hunting.

White Rhino, South Africa

Despite "strict protocols" established in South Africa by the Department of Nature Conservation at the inception of green hunting, new legislation in 2006 banned non-veterinarians from darting animals. Green hunting has been denounced by several organizations by the 2010s, including the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa, South African Veterinary Council and the The Game Rangers Association of Africa.

Green hunting has received little attention since the early 2010s when it was further impacted by new legislation in South Africa such as the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity act and the Threatened or Protected Species Regulations. Even amid this negative reputation, green hunting continues in the form of spectator darting safaris in South Africa and its role in the mitigation of rhinoceros horn trade is still considered valuable.

Controversies

Green hunting is now generally denounced by governments, conservation organizations and animal rights groups due to cases of corruption, concerns about the ethics of dart safaris and issues of tranquilizer being sold by veterinarians on the black market. Critics claim darting safaris are primarily business ventures, leaving conservation elements to be neglected in favor of profits. Despite a significant pool of animals needed to be tranquilized for studies, there are cases of multiple immobilizations of an individual occurring solely for the sake of sport. Specialists argue that animals should be tranquilized no more than 1 to 2 times a year. In one alleged case, tranquilization of a rhino occurred once every two weeks, raising concerns regarding the negative physiological impact of repeated tranquilizations given the lack of studies on the related effects and consequences. Known dangers of the tranquilization process include cardiac arrest, asphyxiation or organ damage from the position of the animal, vulnerability to predation, falling and drowning post-procedure. Even under the strict veterinary procedures of a research context, there a several cases of death during tranquilization from related complications.

It has been suggested that the banning of green hunting in South Africa is contradictory given that trophy hunting remains legal. Corruption issues of green hunting are aggravated by the complex, fragmented and outdated regulatory system for private protected areas, without international standards. In Zimbabwe, a survey showed that most hunters would prefer green hunts over trophy hunts and called for an international certification system to diminish corruption. Further sensitization of stakeholders to principles of conservation ecology and regional and international cooperation is suggested for the long term success of future initiatives.

Green hunting is sometimes grouped with the much more controversial practice of canned hunting.