by Joseph P. Tartaro | Executive Editor
Joe Tartaro, Executive Editor
Just in case you hadn’t heard, the arrow that killed Cecil the Zimbabwean lion, was a shot heard round the world. The cat had barely hit the ground when social media went viral and the downside of that archery safari is still being felt around the world.
The 13-year-old Cecil had been fitted with a GPS collar as part of an Oxford University study.
The Minneapolis dentist who killed the lion is in hiding, and no surprise. There were immediate demonstrations in front of his house, and calls for someone to kill him like he had killed the aged lion. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reportedly even called for him to be found and hanged.
The ramifications of that recent lion kill have been far reaching, threatening not just trophy hunting but damaging all hunting and conservation in general plus the economies of several African countries. So big has the story become but that many conservation authorities have either written and published articles defending sport hunting and the general approach to conservation practiced in Africa and North America or explaining in detail how important such conservation is for the preservation of many species, including humans.
Zimbabwe immediately closed down safari hunting, and issued a call for the extradition of the dentist to face charges of violating that country’s game laws. At least three major airlines issued new regulations refusing to transport trophies from any country.
On Aug. 2 the Zimbabwe Ministry of Environment imposed a temporary suspension of lion, leopard and elephant hunting in an effort to gain clarity and understand the positions of stakeholders positions following the allegedly illegal killing of the lion near Hwange National park.
A few days later, following some useful discussion between operators and the relevant Zimbabwean authorities, the suspension was lifted throughout the country with the exceptions of Antoinette and Antoinette Farm, Railway Farm 31 and Umuguza and Kusile Rural District Council properties where all sport hunting has been suspended pending the outcome of court processes.
The Cecil incident has highlighted the needed reforms agreed by all stakeholders, including professional hunters, landowners and safari promoters at a hunting workshop held eight days after the killing.
The Zimbabwean government said there were some conditions that have to be met for future hunts:
- Some additional regulations and paperwork have been introduced to reinforce accountability of operators to the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority;
- Lion, leopard and elephant hunts will be compulsorily attended by a member of the game authority at the expense of the land owner;
- No further hunting of collared iconic animals will be allowed, since Cecil was a long-standing collared animal, and
- Individuals involved in illegal hunting activities will be banned from hunting in Zimbabwe for life.
Meanwhile, Associated Press reported from Johannesburg, South Africa, that some African countries that allow hunting have criticized a decision by a number of international airlines to ban the transport of parts of animals killed in hunts.
South Africa is disappointed at Delta Air Lines’ earlier announcement that it will no longer accept lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo trophies, the environment ministry said.
“The decision by Delta Air Lines to enforce a blanket ban fails to distinguish between the trade in and transportation of legally acquired wildlife specimens, and the illegal exploitation and trade in wildlife specimens”” the ministry said in a statement.
South Africa has been struggling to contain a record surge in rhino poaching, and poachers have slaughtered tens of thousands of elephants annually for their ivory around Africa in recent years.
Neighboring Namibia also warned that a ban by airlines on trophy transportation will hurt its economy and conservation efforts that rely on revenue from hunters.
“This will be the end of conservation in Namibia,” the Namibia Press Agency quoted Pohamba Shifeta, the environment and tourism minister, as saying.
South Africa said that if hunters can’t take their animal trophies home, a hunting industry worth nearly $500 million a year will suffer, affecting job creation and community development. In Namibia, more than 80 registered Namibian wildlife conservancies depend largely on funding from trophy hunting, according to the Namibia Press Agency.
“If conservancy members have no income, they will abandon their role in protecting the country’s natural resources,” Shifeta said.
“These anti-trophy hunting campaigns are very serious as many countries are joining the chorus now,” Shifeta said. “It will also be uphill for the hunter if trophies are not to be shipped.”
American Airlines and United Airlines announced a similar hunting trophy ban, though it is unclear how many trophies, if any, they have been carrying in recent years. Other airlines announcing bans include Air Canada, Air France and Qantas.
Although most animals are sent by ship, the bans will make it harder for hunters to get their trophies home to put above the mantelpiece, dealing a blow to Africa’s multi-million-dollar game industry.
South African Airways had also placed an embargo on transporting trophies of rhinos, elephants, tigers and lions in April after incidents of false documentation. But it reversed that decision recently, saying the Department of Environmental Affairs had agreed to tighten inspections and crack down on false permits.
It would appear to TGM that the dentist is not the only one to be faulted in what apparently was not a fair chase hunt. So far, however, the names of the professional hunter and guide have not surfaced, and they would certainly deserve to be questioned about the incident. Cecil’s brother lion who was reported killed, was not.
