Newly-appointed Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has been asked to intervene in the row over the shooting of Table Mountain's tahrs.
The National Council of the Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) sent a letter to the minister this week objecting to what it says is unilateral action by South African National Parks (SANParks).
NSPCA executive director Marcelle Meredith told Van Schalkwyk her organisation wanted "consultation, round-table talks and a coming together of parties", and that this was the route that should have been taken before killing began in the past week.
"The NSPCA respectfully asks that the honourable minister takes this matter into consideration," she said.
She said she wanted to emphasise that the NSPCA was mindful of biodiversity issues and did not oppose the removal or culling of the tahrs as such.
"But we do believe that any such actions should not be unilateral decisions and we believe in a consultative process - and that we equally believe this has not taken place."
She told him the NSPCA had requested a meeting with SANParks on the issue.
The NSPCA earlier this week said it did not believe the culling had been properly sanctioned by an independent advisory animal ethics committee.
Meredith also threatened a High Court interdict if the shooting was not suspended.
No comment was immediately available from Van Schalkwyk's office.
It was also confirmed on Thursday that the manager of the Table Mountain National Park, Brett Myrdal, had received phoned death threats related to the tahr issue.
Park spokesperson Fiona Kalk said Myrdal was threatened via repeated SMS messages on Wednesday that "if one single tahr is murdered, you will be next".
A complaint had been laid with the police.
The 100 or so tahrs on the mountain originate from a single pair which escaped in 1936 from the now-defunct Groote Schuur zoo.
SANParks says it is getting rid of them because they damage the mountain, and to create ecological space for indigenous klipspringer and grey rhebok, which have become locally extinct there. - Sapa