A Beijing newspaper reports that China will hold a series of auctions for licenses to allow foreigners to hunt rare wild animals, including endangered species. Here’s the kicker: the purpose of the fundraiser? Wildlife protection.

In the first auction, which will take place on Sunday in Chengdu, capital of the south-western province of Sichuan, the starting price for a permit to shoot a wild yak, of which there are fewer than 15,000 remaining in the world, is $40,000.

Presumably, the funds will be used to buy some wild yak-fitted body armor, because that’s the kind of protection they’re gonna need. At their deluxe price tag, they should be able to afford a damn tank to drive around and graze in.

In China, many endangered species are prized for exotic meat and animal parts believed to be aphrodesiac. At least the wild yak that lays bleeding on the forest floor can die with the comfort his hide came at a posh price. The ever-maligned wolf, victim of similar numbers-culling kill programs in the States, carries a measly fee of $200. All the better to shoot you with, my dear.

I've got to hand it to China - it's an airtight plan. By simultaneously raising money for species conservation and reducing the number of species left to conserve, it's possible to hone in on a budget surplus sufficient to buy that endangered antelope horn your wife keeps suggesting might cure all those bedtime ‘headaches” she’s been afflicted with...

China to let tourists hunt endangered species (Reuters)

China puts price on head of rare animals (Guardian)