South Africa Finalizes Export Quotas for Elephant, Leopard, and Black Rhino

According to Safari Club International, South Africa’s government and Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment have now issued completed export quota figures for hunting trophies of elephants, leopards, and black rhinoceroses covering 2026 and 2027. Safari Club International credited David Maynier, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, with closing the process under a regulatory approach the organization described as transparent and science-based.

Safari Club International said release of the figures supplies operating clarity for conservation groups, hunting businesses, and communities whose economies depend on wildlife. The organization tied hunting programs in southern Africa to funds used for habitat protection, wildlife management, anti-poaching work, and community development.

Safari Club International reported that it had backed creation and assignment of the quotas and had earlier filed official comments supporting the draft figures. The group said it intends to keep working with South African conservation authorities and other parties so that management choices stay directed by science and legal certainty.