SENSELESS KILLING
By Anna Hessel
The Senseless Death of One Lion
In the summer of 2015, Minnesota dentist Dr. Walter Palmer, having reportedly paid $50,000 in US dollars to hunter-guide Theo Bronkhorst as the price for an innocent lion’s head, shot and killed a majestic creature named Cecil. Palmer first shot Cecil with bow and arrow, then tracked the wounded king of the jungle for about a 40-hour period, finally killing him with a rifle on July 1st near Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe.
A Song Too Late
Public outrage at this prompted many celebrities and politicians, among others, to publicly condemn the murder of this animal. Musicians composed songs of tribute in Cecil’s honor, while artists worldwide such as Aaron Blaise, a former animator for Disney, created works to celebrate his life and mourn his death.
Laws Must Be Changed
Conservation organizations penned proposals for bills that would ban importing lion “trophies” to the European Union and the U.S. Bronkhorst and Palmer both had their Safari Club International memberships suspended. Five months later, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has added an extra two sub-species of lion to the endangered list, one of which was Cecil’s type.
A Shrinking Population
With such an outpouring of shock and repulsion at this barbaric act, one would think that the practice of lion trophy hunting would have come to a halt. This is not the case – on July 7th two years later, Cecil’s son Xanda, the remaining male of their pride, which now only consists of two adult Kalahari lionesses and their cubs, was also shot to death.
Cecil And Son
Both Cecil and Xanda were wearing research collars, as they were part of an extended study on lion behavior. The family group likes to roam beyond the perimeters of the park, where, unfortunately, the hunting of wildlife is permitted. Xanda was only two kilometers outside of the park’s borders when he was brutally killed.
A World Wide Problem
Lions are also facing extinction for another human vanity. In addition to trophy hunting, these magnificent creatures are being killed for their claws and teeth. The claws and teeth are ripped from the dead bodies of these magnificent creatures to use in jewelry. Big cats are not the only animals to suffer the horrific fate brought on by trophy hunters and poachers.
Nothing Honorable About Bullfighting
Dead bulls have their tails and ears cut off at the annual bullfights in Cordova, Spain. These weak, confused and helpless bovine are skewered by student bullfighters and their body parts given to innocent children as souvenirs.
A Fallen Giraffe
Internet photos depict a female trophy hunter, Rebecca Francis with a fallen giraffe at her feet. It appears Francis lied about her “hunt” to reporters. She participated in what is called a “canned hunt”. She literally shot an animal in an enclosed space, where the possibly drugged animal could not escape.
Inhumane Acts
The appalling acts are facilitated by people who stage “canned” hunts. This is an abhorrent industry, in which trophy hunters, such as Rebecca Francis and Donald Trump, Jr., pay to hunt and kill endangered creatures that are confined to fenced-in enclosures with no hope of escape. These facilities are known to forcibly breed the animals. Not for preservation of a species, but to become wall decor for rich humans. Once born, the young are taken from their mothers. Some no more than three days old. These poor creatures are raised in inhumane, filthy, overcrowded conditions with inadequate food and water. The animals are often drugged or baited to make them easy prey for trophy hunters. This isn’t hunting this is slaughter.
Mass Executions For Prize Money
Further accounts of other heinous acts include a tiger who was cruelly beaten to death by an angry mob, and British hunters are known to have killed as many 100 endangered puffins per “tour”. In British Columbia, Canada, the “Predator Tournament” gives various points for the slaughter of wolves, coyotes, cougars, and raccoons, with the goal to murder the largest count of animals to win a large prize money purse.
What Should Be Done?
In the last decade, more than 15,000 lions were killed for sport. In the past century alone, these beautiful creatures have lost 90% of their population. Overall – about 20,000 lions presently remain. It has been suggested by scientists that implementation of a five kilometer no-hunting zone surrounding the park could help to stop the killing of so many wild animals. However, banning trophy hunting completely would do much more to stop this decimation.
Iconic Lion
Lions throughout history have served as a symbol of strength and majesty, including in literature such as one of the Bible’s names for the Lord, the Lion of Judah, and C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, where the lion Aslan represents the Son of God.
Heartless Inhumanity
When we as a society, watch the slaughter of innocent animals simply for a “trophy”, it is time to question that cruelty. It is out right murder. When we can’t rely on the hearts of humanity to stop such senseless acts of cruelty we need to enact laws with real bite, with real sentences and big dollar fines.
Survival Is Tough
When a species very survival is at stake those of us with conscience must take action. The time has come to lobby for strict laws against poaching. Demand immediate cessation, through legal means, of trophy hunting. If you want to become part of the solution, you can find more information on the Humane Society of the United States website, http://www.humanesociety.org.
