I'm vehemently pro gun and pro freedom.
That said, I am appalled and disgusted by all sorts of sport hunting, particularly for rare or endangered creatures.
Shame on humans for destroying this earth with our totally irresponsible, selfish, instant gratification ways.
The populations of many of these species would be fine, but for human hunting for sport, trophy, or horrific items like animal heads, racks, ape paws, elephant tusks, etc. The trade of these items is incredibly barbaric (this does not include the deer/elk heads and similar mounted from hunting for food, which is an acceptable and natural predatory instinct through the food chain).
As for people who claim that Lions population is doing fine, according to Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion#Population_and_conservation_status
Estimates of the African lion population range between 16,500 and 47,000 living in the wild in 2002–2004,[139][140] down from early 1990s estimates that ranged as high as 100,000 and perhaps 400,000 in 1950.
Population does not seem to be doing very well in my opinion, at about 10% today what it was JUST 50 years ago.
People can pat themselves on the back by hunting to contribute to the overall preservation. I don't know how I feel about that. I would prefer if these were just protected all together and allowed to live unmolested.
There is a real psychological problem with killing something for the pure sake of killing it. It is one of a million examples of the decay of our hollow society and values. I cannot imagine taking ANY pleasure in ending the life of a creature unnecessarily, whether it's a house mouse, a snake in the yard, a gopher, a dog, a deer, an elk or an elephant.
I tread lightly and kill only when necessary. I treat all of Gods' creatures' lives with value, as I would want my life treated.
Pond, James Pond said: Firstly trophy hunting in Africa SAVED the plethora of animals now present.
That may well be the case, and what a shame it was ever needed. What a damning indictment of our society's behaviour if we need to rely on hunting revenue to preserve what we've previously all but killed off by other means.
But just because that is what may have happened in the past it does not mean it is how we should proceed.
I don't accept the premise that trophy hunting is the only workable way to preserve nature we have.
I don't accept the premise that trophy hunting is the only profitable way to enjoy and protect wildlife.
I don't accept the premise that the local population are hapless, just waiting for another westerner to come along with a 375 H&H and finally rid them of that [insert species] so they can finally eat/be safe.
I don't believe trophy hunters are overly concerned about preserving these species.
I think it is an argument used to justify the fact that they want to kill stuff that has big teeth and will look good on the wall.
If preservation were their goal, they could donate to conservation org's, go on safaris instead.
I don't agree with killing animals for "a laugh". It is not an activity I can bring myself to respect.
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lions aren't endangered either
If that is true then why are even the Masai Mara trying to curb their coming of age tradition of killing a lion by spear to prove one's manhood: because they know that numbers are in rapid decline.
Take a look. 450K in 1940 to 20K by 2000. Quite sobering.
When those sorts of changes arise from direct or indirect human activity over just the period of 1940 to the turn of the 21st century, I think that your definition of endangered and mine are very different.
How few do you want there to be before they become worth actively protecting?
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Wildlife safaris are a billion dollar industry that creates jobs for the people in africa, yankees and euros pay big bucks to hunt ...
Permit the amendment that illustrates that a rifle is not needed to garner the same results.
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... and atleast some of it trickle down.
"Some" is the operative word there. I bet the main beneficiaries are not the majority of locals and that the "some" is a paltry %.
Professional Hunters are not conservationists. They are Professional Hunters.
If they are preserving these animals it is primarily to make money. What does that mean when that animal no longer becomes profitable/worth maintaining: Bottom line is that trophy hunting is not the only nor even the best means of conservation at our current disposal.
So let's not claim that trophy hunters are motivated by a desire to preserve the Savannah. If they were they could choose from any number of more effective, more sustainable ways of doing so.
Let's rather say it like it is: they do it because they want to kill a big African game animal.
+1
For the price of the failed (insert government program here), we could probably have put drones over Africa to track poachers, and a Special Forces ODA to shoot poachers. Put out warrants on the heads of poachers and start hunting these 'predators.' Perhaps that's where the real sport is.
These rare rhinos have 24/7 guards.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9525512/Rhinos-under-24-hour-armed-guard.html
Only humans can take land and encroach on the animals that have been there since the dawn of time, and then justify murdering them for sport, income, 'self defense,' etc. wholesale right down to extinction. Shameful. And killing for sport must be some sort of deranged mentality.
People who are 'for' sport trophy hunting can come up with all sorts of 'feel good' reasons to support it. But the numbers show that WE as a human species are irresponsibly destroying then wholesale, destroying their habitats, and hunting them into extinction. We've done it with many species and continue to do it. Hunting to preserve simply doesn't work. Making the killing of these creatures illegal with stiff penalties DOES work. The whale has made a comeback not through hunting, but through making their killing and trade illegal.
Trade restrictions tend to work. Our governments just need to agree on banning trade in certain items, and making serious penalties for killing stuff on the no-kill lists. That and setting aside mass areas or land, and not organized hunts, is the best way to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy these majestic animals. It will be heartbreaking when the last of these are killed off and they aren't far from that point.
How good are pro-sport hunters going to feel about yourselves when we have murdered the last elephants, lions, great apes, etc.? Absolutely shameful. And what's more, is that it shines a bad light on hunters AND gun ownership in general.