PRETORIA — South Africa has lost a legal bid to overturn a court ruling that could pave the way for exports of legally harvested rhino horn, after the Northern Cape High Court dismissed the government's application for leave to appeal, according to the private game reserve owner who brought the case and the environment ministry.
The ruling leaves intact a 2025 judgment that found rhino horn from captive-bred white rhinoceroses kept for conservation purposes could qualify for export permits, provided legal requirements are met. The decision does not lift the global prohibition on commercial international rhino horn trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but it could affect how South Africa processes certain export applications.
The case was brought by Wicus Diedericks, owner of a game reserve in South Africa's Northern Cape province, who sought authorization to export more than 500 white rhino horns that had been legally harvested from live animals.
In a statement released after Friday's ruling, Diedericks said the court had dismissed the government's application with costs.
"This historic decision validates the rights of private conservationists and breeding facilities to fund their critical, high-cost protection efforts," Diedericks said, adding that supporters believe regulated trade could strengthen conservation funding and benefit rural communities.
South Africa's Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said newly appointed Environment Minister David Maynier was considering the judgment and would decide whether to pursue a further appeal.
The dispute reflects a long-running divide over rhino conservation policy. Supporters of maintaining the international ban argue legal trade could stimulate demand, complicate enforcement efforts and increase opportunities for illegal trafficking. Advocates of regulated exports contend that horns can be trimmed from living rhinos without killing the animals and that controlled sales could provide funding for conservation while reducing incentives for black-market trade.
In May, the Environmental Investigation Agency, a British non-governmental organization, described Diedericks' legal action as an attempt to circumvent the international ban and warned it could undermine anti-trafficking efforts by increasing demand for rhino horn.
South Africa is home to the world's largest rhino population but also remains one of the countries hardest hit by rhino poaching, driven largely by demand in parts of Asia, where rhino horn is sought for traditional medicine and as a luxury product despite the absence of scientifically established medicinal benefits.
The environment ministry has not announced whether it will seek to challenge the latest ruling before a higher court.
