Over the last week two renowned international auction houses have canceled upcoming sales of rhino horn artifacts, capitulating to mounting pressure and criticism from wildlife conservation groups who argue the legal sale of parts of endangered species promotes illegal poaching and rampant slaughter.
Bonhams, a London-based auction house, announced on Friday that it would remove 21 lots of antique rhino horn items from a sale that was set to begin on Tuesday. Agence France Presse reported Humane Society International put the estimated value of the carvings at $3.87 million.
Matthew Girling, Global CEO of Bonhams, insisted the auction house only sells rhinoceros carvings with a known provenance and licensed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
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