Back in 2016 the internet momentarily lost its collective mind over the killing of Cecil the lion, and by extension all trophy and big game hunting in Africa. Companies such as Delta Air Lines responded by changing their policies to prohibit using their airliners to bring trophies into the US, and President Obama issued an executive order to stop the importation of some African trophies.
What impact did that have?
To the surprise of virtually no true conservationists, the lack of funding going into the wildlife preserves has caused them to take drastic measures such as slaughtering lions. The feel-good-ism of opposing managed big game hunts means they now don’t have the resources they need to help maintain their existing populations. Hunters (and specifically trophy hunters) provide the funding to keep these places operating. The removal of tagged older animals from herds — specifically elderly elephants who become destructive and would keep the overall population of the herd low — is a necessary part of responsible conservation.
But the anti-gun and anti-hunting crowd doesn’t can’t see beyond the ends of their hoplophobic probiscises (probosci?). And they don’t really give a damn. Killing animals for any reason is inherently evil and they won’t even consider any evidence to the contrary, especially when it doesn’t fit nicely into a five-word sound byte.
President Trump made statements last week indicating that he would be reversing the Obama decision, but he’s now reversed his statements on reversing the decision. So it appears there won’t be any decision by Trump any time soon to un-do yet another Obama era executive order which accomplishes the exact opposite of what it was ostensibly intended (save animals). And, by the way, also negatively impacts gun owners.
A buddy of mine just got back from Namibia. Was called upon to dispatch a problem elephant. He did so with a .470 nitro to the brain.
Problem animal tags issued by the local governments are really cheap.
Unfortunately for Larry, he couldn’t bring any parts back.
He was also asked to take out two leopards.
The lucky guy was busy for 5 weeks down there. I knew I shoulda went! Grumble, grumble.
What is a “problem elephant?”
How are they a problem?
If those are serious questions, here are serious answers.
Elephants even in a good mood are highly destructive simply because they are big, they are constantly foraging, and they travel in herds. Just one elephant can destroy an entire field of crops, take out a village worth of huts, and do untold damage to orchards, plantain trees, anything that might be edible to an elephant that humans also grow. Multiply the number of elephants, and multiply the damage done.
An elephant in a BAD mood can be wantonly destructive; Any elephant with an infected tooth, or old wound, or pretty much anything at all annoying them–including human improvements that get in their way, or humans themselves–can destroy anything it its path, and will do so sometimes just for the fun of it.
A male elephant in musth (rutting season) is an unguided missile: It has NO sense of humor, it will also go out of its way to destroy anyone and anything in its path, and it is virtually unstoppable.
THAT is a ‘problem elephant.’
Before that fateful week in 2016, bringing up the topic of that lion would have gotten the reply of, “Cecil who?”.
That one simple fact was totally lost on most folks who wanted to give their opinions to all who would listen regarding a cat on another continent most famous (in very small, exclusive circles)for being easy to photograph due to his laziness. ðŸ¤
Why should Trump or anyone else in “government” have any part in this anyway? Shouldn’t Trump and his minions be occupied with more murder and destruction in the middle east, perhaps? Or rooting out more of the Clinton’s emails and sexual crimes?
Actually, I can’t think of a single thing any of them should be doing… except to go home and get a real job. Well, except for all those who are already rich off the theft and fraud of government…
Do you include African governments in your statement as well?
Poor Cecil can’t catch a break. First he was shot by a dentist and then the movie actor who was going to play him in the story of his life was molested by Kevin Spacey.
Here is a non-conservation viewpoint –
I was working with a Kenyan man when this happened.
He was flabbergasted at the reaction to the death of a single lion. He had seen friends maimed and killed, livestock stolen, and villages terrorized by wild lions. I had to try to explain that there were many in the US that are completely ignorant on the realities of lions as predators.
Liberal non-hunting anti-gun city dwellers do not understand that Humans are not always the top of the food chain and sometimes very dangerous animals have to be killed to save lives.
The vegetarian national socialist does not care.
Let me guess…Ivanka asked him to spare duh aminals?
More like asked him to “allow” people to bring back lion skin rugs again. :]
“Proboscides” if you want the Latin; a lot of 3rd declension nouns have a mutating consonant.
The only answer is to educate the public on what conservation means. Unfortunately not even the organized hunting groups are focused on this issue.
Pleasure hunters are the worst. They can only tell you how much fun they have. They can’t articulate hunting science, or the dangers of older bull animals to the herd.
I have this argument with my wife every time she tells me not to eat at Jimmy John’s because he’s a trophy hunter. I tell her that while neither she nor I can imagine why someone would want to shoot an elephant (one of the most intelligent animals on the planet), the fact remains that sometimes people are needed to shoot elephants. And that rich people killing exotic animals for fun actually brings in much needed dollars to depressed communities where those animals are not so exotic.
We agree to disagree and I enjoy a #9 with no mayo.
Your own article by Liberte Austin cited that lion populations are down 42% in the last 20 years.