John Hume, a prominent South African conservationist and former owner of a major rhino farm, has been charged with smuggling rhino horns but firmly denies the allegations, stating his commitment to legal and ethical practices in conservation.
South African Conservationist Denies Charges of Rhino Horn Trafficking
South African Conservationist Denies Charges of Rhino Horn Trafficking
John Hume, accused of smuggling rhino horns valued at $14 million, insists he is innocent and claims he has cooperated with authorities.
A prominent conservationist in South Africa, John Hume, has been accused of smuggling rhino horns valued at $14 million but maintains that he has "nothing to hide." Hume, who once owned what is believed to be the world's largest rhino farm, refutes the allegations of trafficking horns from South Africa to Southeast Asia. The 83-year-old, along with five co-defendants including a lawyer and a game reserve manager, appeared in court facing 55 charges, encompassing theft, money laundering, and fraud, as prosecutors allege their involvement in an international rhino horn trafficking syndicate between 2017 and 2024.
The group is said to have illegally smuggled over 960 rhino horns while acquiring permits to sell them domestically, which was allegedly a front for their true intention to export the horns to Southeast Asia, where they are utilized in traditional medicine. While the sale of rhino horns is legal among citizens in South Africa, exporting them remains illegal. During their initial court appearance in Pretoria, the defendants were granted bail and did not enter a plea, which is not mandatory at this stage of proceedings in South Africa.
Hume, who has been breeding rhinos for over two decades, professed his innocence in a public statement claiming he has cooperated fully with investigators over the years. "I categorically reject the allegations against me and maintain that I have never acted unlawfully. I am confident that, once the facts are tested in court, I will be vindicated and my innocence confirmed," he stated. Hume previously sold his Platinum Rhino farm in 2023, stating he could no longer sustain the costs of caring for the approximately 2,000 southern white rhinos he had bred.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges of rhino conservation amid illegal trafficking and the complex dynamics of wildlife protection in South Africa.
