Stop reading now if you are an animal lover. The auction for this week’s big ticket item caused such controversy that it had to be conducted under tight security. Demonstrators with placards chanted outside the venue in Texas.
Up for grabs last Saturday at the Dallas Convention Centre was a permit to hunt a black African rhino, an endangered species. The event was the highlight of an annual four-day get-together for big game hunters with the licence going to an unidentified bidder for US$350,000.
But by the start of the bidding, 60,000 people had signed an online petition against the auction and animal welfare groups said the auction sent an unsavoury message to the public. Jeffrey Flocken of the International Fund for Animal Welfare branded the event “a spectacle of killing an endangered species”.
Defenders of the sale argued that the proceeds would go towards protecting the species. The winner would be allowed to hunt an animal that was old, male and non breeding – likely to be targeted for removal anyway because of its aggressive behaviour.
“This is the best way to have the biggest impact on increasing the black rhino population,” Ben Carter, the executive director of the Dallas Safari Club, which sponsored the event, told The Independent.
According to conservation groups, there are about 4,000 black rhinos left in the wild, down from 70,000 in the 1960s. Of those, nearly 1,800 are in Namibia. The south-western African country sells five permits to hunt black rhino every year. This is the first time a licence has been put up for sale outside Namibia.
Before the sale, the organisers said they hoped to beat the previous record for a permit of $223,000 with some punters expecting it to fetch $1 million.
Although 30,000 people attended the convention, the winning bidder may come from anywhere in the world as telephone bids were also accepted.
The FBI is investigating death threats against members of the club, AP reported.
Q&A Also up for sale: Grannie
It’s sad there are so few rhinos left. Why is that?
Poaching of the mighty beasts is rampant because their horns are highly sought after for their supposed medical properties. Asia is a key market for poachers – especially Vietnam where rhino horn is though to cure cancer. Interestingly, though, rhino horns are not ivory like elephant tusks, but are made of keratin, the same substance as hair and nails.
Apart from the rhino hoopla what else is Namibia known for?
Namibia hit the headlines in 2006 – this time getting more positive PR – after Angelina Jolie decided to give birth to her daughter Shiloh there. She was struck by the beauty of the country after filming Beyond Borders in the country. Namibia is large and sparsely populated. The spectacular scenery is a huge tourist pull; sights include the Eupup waterfalls on the border with Angola.
You have “a liver” on your list of unsavoury items sold at auction. Is that allowed?
This particular liver was put up for sale by a man from Florida on eBay in September 1999. Bidding reached US$5.7 million before eBay cancelled it because the company does not in fact allow the sale of human organs on its site, according to RetailDigital.com. Another weird eBay sale was the 10-year-old girl from the United Kingdom who tried to auction her grandmother. Grannie was listed as “annoying” but “cuddly”. EBay again cancelled the sale.
lgutcher@thenational.ae
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m
7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm - Ziyadd; 7.05pm - Barney Roy; 7.40pm - Dee Ex Bee; 8.15pm - Dubai Legacy; 8.50pm - Good Fortune; 9.25pm - Drafted; 10pm - Simsir
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
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