A permit to hunt a black rhino in Namibia sold for $US350,000 at an auction in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. The proceeds will go towards protecting the endangered animals.
The licence allows for the killing of a single, post-breeding bull. Namibian wildlife officials will make sure an appropriate animal is targeted.
The Dallas Safari Club said the hunt will help in managing the population and the government to thwart poachers.
Animal rights groups have denounced the sale as immoral and more than 75,000 people signed an online petition to stop it.
About 5000 black rhinos remain in Africa, the majority in South Africa.
Both South Africa and Namibia allow for a few regulated hunts under internationally approved guidelines each year with the proceeds going to fund conservation.
