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- Jan 28, 2003
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In the animals rights world there was much to be celebrated when the president of Botswana declared all government land closed to hunting. Well intentioned "progressives" and other anthropomorphic animal lovers rejoiced at President Ian Khama's animal rights stand when he made his no more hunting declaration.
Botswana was the crowned jewel of the African wildlife conservation model. Central national parks surrounded by huge strictly managed, and tightly governed hunting blocks. The fees from the sport/trophy hunting provided jobs for locals, the money was used to pay for constant anti poaching patrols. The local people had a vested interest in the health and high numbers of wildlife in the area. Wild animals were viewed as an asset to locals, an asset worthy of protection.
International animal rights groups started to gain traction with their use of emotional capitol in regards to lions. They were able to gain enough in donations from well meaning folks around the world to influence President Khama to stop the legal hunting of wild lions first. Within the first year of the lion hunting ban the recorded number of lions killed in Botswana went up by over 50%. Folks no longer had any time or patients for the occasional cattle killer. They now knew that there was no up side to having lions in their area. Prior to the lion hunting ban a trophy male lion was worth big money to local cattle men. A phone call was made, a professional hunter arraigned for a specific lion to be taken by a wealthy client. Everybody made money, the client was happy and cattle eating lions were tolerated. They were tolerated because folks knew there was an upside to having them around.
After the lion hunting ban, a stock killing lion was nothing more than an expensive pest, a fox in the hen house if you will, and they were immediately either legally or illegally killed. When I say the reported number of lions killed was up by 50% over legal hunting numbers. That is just the reported kills. You can bet your buttock that the unreported killed doubled or even tripled that number.
After their success with getting lion hunting stopped it was a simply matter to extend their goals to the next most popular and emotionally stirring animal. The African elephant. Khama took it a step further and simply declared all government land closed to hunting.
Now the decimation of wildlife in Botswana by poaching begins. As historically has been the case in every African country that has stopped legal, tightly controlled sport hunting. If you ever do see this reported in mainstream media the poachers will be referred to as "hunters". Even though we, the legal sport hunter are responsible just about every conservation dollar spent on wildlife. We will continue to be villanised in the press.
When it comes to wildlife and wild land "progressives" are the most damaging and regressive force, the worst enemy wildlife has ever faced.
https://africajournalismtheworld.co...ublishes&fb_source=og_snowlift_photo_robotext
Botswana was the crowned jewel of the African wildlife conservation model. Central national parks surrounded by huge strictly managed, and tightly governed hunting blocks. The fees from the sport/trophy hunting provided jobs for locals, the money was used to pay for constant anti poaching patrols. The local people had a vested interest in the health and high numbers of wildlife in the area. Wild animals were viewed as an asset to locals, an asset worthy of protection.
International animal rights groups started to gain traction with their use of emotional capitol in regards to lions. They were able to gain enough in donations from well meaning folks around the world to influence President Khama to stop the legal hunting of wild lions first. Within the first year of the lion hunting ban the recorded number of lions killed in Botswana went up by over 50%. Folks no longer had any time or patients for the occasional cattle killer. They now knew that there was no up side to having lions in their area. Prior to the lion hunting ban a trophy male lion was worth big money to local cattle men. A phone call was made, a professional hunter arraigned for a specific lion to be taken by a wealthy client. Everybody made money, the client was happy and cattle eating lions were tolerated. They were tolerated because folks knew there was an upside to having them around.
After the lion hunting ban, a stock killing lion was nothing more than an expensive pest, a fox in the hen house if you will, and they were immediately either legally or illegally killed. When I say the reported number of lions killed was up by 50% over legal hunting numbers. That is just the reported kills. You can bet your buttock that the unreported killed doubled or even tripled that number.
After their success with getting lion hunting stopped it was a simply matter to extend their goals to the next most popular and emotionally stirring animal. The African elephant. Khama took it a step further and simply declared all government land closed to hunting.
Now the decimation of wildlife in Botswana by poaching begins. As historically has been the case in every African country that has stopped legal, tightly controlled sport hunting. If you ever do see this reported in mainstream media the poachers will be referred to as "hunters". Even though we, the legal sport hunter are responsible just about every conservation dollar spent on wildlife. We will continue to be villanised in the press.
When it comes to wildlife and wild land "progressives" are the most damaging and regressive force, the worst enemy wildlife has ever faced.
https://africajournalismtheworld.co...ublishes&fb_source=og_snowlift_photo_robotext
