From the Guardian:
The Chinese government is inviting bids from foreign tourists for the right to hunt endangered species under a kill-to-conserve campaign, a newspaper reported today.
In the first auction, which will take place on Sunday in Chengdu, capital of the south-western province of Sichuan, the starting price for a permit to shoot a wild yak, of which there are fewer than 15,000 remaining in the world, is $40,000 (£21,000). Bids to bag an argali (wild sheep prized for their massive spiral horns) begin at $10,000. Wolves Рthe only predator on the list Рmay go for as little as $200. [Full text]
See also a Shanghai Daily report on the hunting licenses.
UPDATE (8/12/06): See “Wild Animal Hunt On Hold” from the New York Times.
