Day 327: 'Tis The Season To Hunt Animals

Ok so I live in South Africa which is well known for it's safaris and wildlife and all that. What some may not know is that many of the game park and nature reserves will have a hunting season where rich people from all over the world pay to kill one or more particular animals. What is interesting about this is that nature conservationists (I doubt all of them, but some) actually support this trophy hunting. Here is an extract found at the following link http://www.africahunting.com/hunting-africa/2668-hunting-leopard-hounds.html

I am a Professional Hunter. I am not a person who hunts for sport. The only hunting I do is professionally. My clients are the sportsmen. However, I am a very strong advocate of sport hunting, because I am deeply committed to conservation. I know unequivocally that the revenues from sport hunting are absolutely crucial for wildlife to survive in Africa, particularly in areas where wildlife densities are marginal outside Parks, i.e. the bulk of Africa.


Now the quote above was from a professional hunter, so not a conservationist per say, but many South African game farmers and hunters claim to be avid naturists and conservationists, justifying their killing of animals as it being in their best interest for a few reasons:

• The funds raised by trophy hunting contribute towards the preservation and conservation of the wild animal populations;
• They often target the "nuisance" animals that have strayed into farm land or areas settled by people, thereby preventing people from resenting the animals for attacking them; 
• They are helping to control animal populations that are living in limited reserve spaces. 

I know people who work or have worked at nature reserves and I have heard the stories of what happens with the animals who try to expand their territories into human land. Most of the animals die as a result, either by poison or by bullets. We blame them for their actions, but how can we when we forced the choice upon them? They literally have nowhere else to go and no way to communicate their needs to us, their captors and masters.

I really don't see the appeal in hunting and killing an animal for no other reason that "because I can" - this to me is pure evil. They say that sociopaths start out as animal torturers and killers, so what does that make trophy killers?

Very few nature and animal conservationists propose a solution that would allow the animals to have the land they require. No one wants to suggest that we, the magnificent human race, have taken too much. No one wants to step on any toes -  because it's the rich people who like having it set up this way. God forbid we anger the rich people.

This is another example of how we complain about the rain even though we are the ones who made the weather. We talk about saving the animals and protecting nature, but everything about our system is primed to ass rape nature and the animals into oblivion so that we can make a quick buck. There are too many people who have no choice but to exploit and poach in order to survive and keep their families fed.

What would happen in this situation if we were to remove the motivation of profit from our actions?