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South African Park Houses Grim Exhibit

Non-poached hides and other animal parts prepared for sale

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 19, 2007 7:51 PM CDT

(Newser) – South Africa's Kruger National Park provides a bizarre but legal service: a legitimate source of animal parts for the world's manufacturers of buffalo upholstery, zebra footrests, and giraffe-bone handgun grips. The park's employees harvest the remains of animals that die of natural causes and store them in stockpiles, taking orders from around the world, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Kruger made only about $8,500 from its most recent sale; though it has more than 50 tons of elephant tusks—worth a fortune on the black market—the park is prohibited under international law from selling ivory. Opponents say Kruger's sales increase demand for endangered animals; the stockpile's manager says she's OK with the practice "as long as it doesn't increase poaching."

[Images (8)]

[Videos (1)]

GREECE-ZOO-ATTICA-GIRAFFE (Getty Images)

The Letaba entrance to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. The country's largest game preserve also provides a home to tusks, hides and other materials recovered from protected animals who die on... (User: Stephantom; Wikimedia Commons)

Upon the demise of one of the park's animals, valuable parts such as tusks and hides are gathered for preservation and occasional charity auctions. (Index Open)

A leopard, with a freshly killed impala, dines in Kruger National Park in South Africa. Unruly animals put down by park officials, or recovered from poachers, supply material for a small side-business... (KRT Photos)

A panoramic view of Luvuvhu River and Limpopo River in Kruger National Park in South Africa. (User: Stephantom ; Wikimedia Commons)

An elephant dines in Kruger National Park in South Africa, the nation's largest preserve and one of the world's most popular Safari destinations. (User: Conrad88; Wikimedia Commons)

TO GO WITH AFP STORY-Kenya vows crackdown on illegal poaching... (Getty Images)

Baby rhino Heini enjoys fresh grass at his open-air enclosure... (Getty Images (by Event))

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Elephants in Kruger Park (ceebeeit (YouTube))

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South African Park Houses Grim Exhibit