Elephants destroy crops; lions and other predators can target people or livestock. And I once helped catch wealthy Texans who smuggled Tibetan argali, a rare mountain sheep, into the United States from China under the guise of scientific collecting permits. The dentist [who shot Cedric] was unlucky and not altogether to blame. It brings out the worst in sportsmen and encourages illegal and unethical activity.
” “All forms of animal cruelty, persecution, and murder are unjustifiable. If a ban on all sport hunting were put to California voters on the ballot today, it well could prevail. And while some proponents of big game hunting advocate for only killing animals who have already contributed their genes to the population, most animals will continue to propagate until they die.Published on 10/5/2015 at 5:20 PMBut as human lands continue to increase, animals continue to be pushed into smaller and smaller territories.
Here's Why They're Wrong. No discussion of hunting can take place without addressing the trophy hunting impact on populations.
These animals are often killed - and tourism hunting is often encouraged - in the name of protecting humans from African wildlife.The loss of any animal also means the loss of any offspring they could have parented, a knock to conservation that goes far beyond taking just one animal out of the population.
The killing of Cecil — Zimbabwe’s most famous lion — by an American dentist sparked outrage and reignited the debate over trophy hunting. It’s difficult to see how killing for ego rather than food can be justified as part of modern sportsmanship.As a federal wildlife agent, I’ve seen the dark side of trophy hunting in North America. I’ve seen trophy hunters hire helicopters to track down prize bighorn sheep. On the surface, this seems very simple. Accordingly, the duties of wildlife managers have evolved beyond merely promoting hunting and fishing. And my hunts are limited to game birds like pheasants and quail. But in my experience killing trophy animals turns the public against all hunting. “Trophy hunting is not inherently damaging to lion populations provided the hunters take care to let the males mature and wait to harvest them after their cubs are safely reared. I hauled in a Rocky Mountain hunting guide who got his clients drunk and instructed them to “shoot anything that moves,” especially trophy moose and elk. Today, they must represent all of us and serve as stewards of our wildlife.Proponents of trophy hunting argue that high-dollar auctions of big-game hunting permits generate much-needed revenue for wildlife management, especially in developing countries.
While such incidents involve only a small minority of hunters, they sully the reputation of us all.The killing of trophy animals sours the public perception of hunting and helps bring about the demise of outdoor sports in America. Published on 10/5/2015 at 5:20 PM
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Ever since the death of Cecil the lion, the world's been looking at trophy hunting a bit more closely.It’s time to recognize that trophy hunting no longer has a place in true sportsmanship, and put this outdated practice behind us.But the vast majority of people in California and around the country aren’t hunters and don’t sanction the killing of animals for sport. For lions, that means the male pride leader; for elephants, the oldest elephant with the biggest tusks. Michael Sutton is former president of the California Fish and Game Commission and served as a special agent with the U.S.
Killing these animals, who play a crucial role in their societies, puts the rest of their families at risk.For example, killing a male lion with an impressive mane leaves his fellow pride leaders open to challenges from other males.