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You did not have to listen very carefully, earlier this week, to hear the resounding "thwack" of a Northern California federal court swatting down baseless challenges made by the Humane Society of the United States and other animal rights groups in a case concerning conservation of three endangered antelope species. Hunters and those who support sustainable use conservation are celebrating a huge victory in a case brought by these animal rights groups to challenge a regulation providing special conservation tools for scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle and addax. The California court threw out HSUS's claims that the trade and limited hunting of members of these species in captive herds in the United States causes harm to populations of these animals in the wild in North Africa.

The Court also granted intervention to Safari Club International and the Exotic Wildlife Association, groups whose efforts have been responsible for successful conservation of thriving herds of these animals on ranches in Texas and other states. The Court's ruling left the animal rights groups' case in shambles, with only a single informational right claim surviving.

"HSUS likes to paint SCI as some kind of villain, but in truth it is groups like SCI and EWA and the sustainable use conservation methods that we support that are making all the significant progress in the conservation of species like scimitar-horned oryx, dama gazelle and addax. HSUS can call us all the names they like, but they cannot refute our successes in the conservation of these species. It is time that the animal rights groups start recognizing that there are many forms of conservation and their restrictive, individual animal approach is neither the only nor the most effective method for many species." Offered Ralph Cunningham, SCI President.

SCI Vice President and Legal Task Force Chairman Kevin Anderson added: "HSUS may be good at sound bites, pretty pictures and raising money, but when it comes to real conservation, SCI and the EWA are the groups that make things happen. If it were not for our efforts, there would be no scimitar-horned oryx dama gazelle and addax increasing in numbers in the United States and providing the seed populations for future return of the species to their home ranges. Get out of our way, HSUS! We are going to succeed in conserving these and other species regardless of the senseless obstacles you place in our way."

SCI-First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI's 173 Chapters represent all 50 United States as well as 13 other countries. SCI's proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit www.safariclub.org or call 520-620-1220 for more information.