Bill,
Interesting timing with all the deal about "cecel". I am going to cautiously reply my thought as I feel you are looking for Intel on a polarizing topic.
I really don't trust the media, you being the media I question your motives. However, I do want to tell you some things that I hope influences your piece.
Trophy Hunting is "hunting" just like meat hunting is hunting. Every animal taken by hunters especially in Africa are cared for and every part eaten by the locals.
Hunting in Africa is a traditional, cultural, and nesseccary experience. If I may Enlighten you on what I believe you should know when you hear the phrase trophy hunting. Those who hunt big game for the purpose of harvesting a " trophy " are simply trying to find and harvest the oldest animal within the species they are hunting. Why? Well because the oldest have lived the longest, they have mated the most, have contributed to the reproduction process the longest. And are by simple nature getting old and soon are going to pass on.
Now I'm going to assume you understand why hunting period, is nessecary. But if you don't please listen close. This is real simple: game animals eat the vegetation and there is only so much feed per animal. When game animals reproduce they multiply and as they do the competition for food increases. This creates a problem when they compete for food. If the herds are not kept in check they will eat themselves right to starvation. It's one of the most in human things we as a society can do and that is allow game animals to die do to starvation.
So ALL governments have game management plans to control the game populations. This a cures all over the world. "Hunting" is one of the best and most effective ways to manage game populations. It's because the managers can determine how many animals need to be harvested to be able to sustain a healthy game population. Once this quota is determined these agency's issue hunting permits or tags for specific animals. In the case of "loins" the government issues lion permits on a very limited basis to hunters to be able to harvest for the cause of "game management"
You probably knew all that correct? So why are you asking 'should Trophy hunting be legal?' What I think you are trying to do is deminize the culture of hunting as barbaric, unethical, illegal, and down right cold harded.
The truth is that the culture of hunting has been a forever thing. Long before you or I lived and it will continue to be forever. The practic of hunting big game in Africa is no different than the practic of hunting game here in the States. IT'S NECCESSARY!!!!!!!
So YES infatically I believe "Hunting" whether right here in the good old United States or down in Africa, should be legal just as it should be legal to drive a car. It's a right, it's also the right thing to do.
Now, no one on this forum or in the hunting community supports poaching of animals out of season, or out of the boundaries in which the permit was issued. My opinion on what happend in Zimbobway was that the professional hunters called "PH's" where under pressure to fulfill the promise of a harvest on a lion. After the man paid $50,000 I would assume the guides were feeling the heat to find one and get their client a shot. They made a bad decision to attemp to hunt on the boundary of a preserve. I'm not sure if this was out of there jurisdiction to hunt but for what ever reason they did it. The Hunter may or may not have had a clear understanding of what they were doing to get a lion. Maybe everyone should wait until all the investigation is complete before jumping to conclusions. Heaven knows we as Americans could use some lessons in that before we point fingers at Police Officers for doing their job and crying foul. When an animal is shot outside the peramiters of what the permit allows then that animal was in the short of it poached. When this happens it is a violation which is commonly referred to as a "game violation" and the individual usually gets a fine imposed on them, sometimes gets hunting privileges taken away, and maybe community service. There are obviously other types of violations but non the less they are violations. What your story should be about is poaching not whether "trophy hunting should be legal" and as I said before trophy hunting is hunting in it simplest form.
This thing with "cecel" was an unfortunate event. However, I wouldn't say it was justifiable for any of us to rush to ban hunting in Africa. Do some research on the money that the local African villages receive from wealthy big game hunters that come to their villages and pay huge money to hunt animals that the governments have issued permits to be hunted and harvested. Ask the people there, the native African people the question "should Trophy Hunting be legal?" Or maybe should hunting be legal?
I hope you write an honest, fact checked, and unbiased story for yahoo news. It would be a tragity if you read this post and then write something only the bleeding heart animal rights activist want you to write. Do the correct thing and educate your readers on the reasons why "cecel" was killed and the way he was killed.
