Groups ask for denial of hunter’s black rhino import request

DALLAS – Animal rights groups are calling on the U.S. government to block a Texas businessman from importing the carcass of an endangered black rhinoceros from Africa.

Lacy Harber killed the animal in Namibia in February, two months after paying $275,000 for a hunting permit auctioned by the Dallas Safari Club. Supporters have said the auction’s proceeds go toward conservation efforts.

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International released a statement Friday saying that allowing hunters to kill black rhinos will take a severe toll on the species’ population.

The groups said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should block the import permit. The agency is accepting public comment on the issue through Feb. 5.

Harber lives in North Texas. He didn’t return phone messages seeking comment Friday from The Associated Press.