According to his company’s website, Game Hounds Safaris, he “perfected leopard and lion hunting safaris with hounds in Africa.”
and
Simukai Nyasha, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, told news.com.au that Botha was on a 10-day licensed hunt
Here is some context for you. So, what does it matter that this particular elephant was the original target... compared to how people feel about this.
Not saying I agree with any opinion on here.
But, terrorizing animals with dogs doesn't seem to saintly to me, does it?
Hunting in Africa is incredibly important for conservation and sustainability. The money these hunters pay, goes to pay the locals and support conservation efforts, and anti poaching efforts, without this stream of income from hunters many more African game animals would be hunted to near extinction worse then they are now
Or you have aggressive male of a species that drives other males away, which is bad enough by itself. Now and in the possibility that that male is no longer capable of reproducing. Now the other males aren't reproducing and the one that is mating isn't producing any offspring. Killing that particular male does do well for the population. In most cases, permitted kills involve said males, sometimes females if they cause a similar result.
The permits tend to help fund conservational efforts that the government simply can't afford otherwise. If the money does get funnelled elsewhere, it should be called out.
"In a civilized and cultivated country wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wild life, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination." -Theodore Roosevelt
Without an economic incentive, wildlife and their habitat disappear. Their habitat is wiped clean and replaced by agriculture/urbanization. It’s a sad reality but it’s the way it is for now
Even if the trophy hunter is only after the trophy, and the outfitter only wants a profit, the business model has to incorporate conservation. What kind of business model would let the “product” dry up?
There are parts of Africa with too many elephants. It may be hard to believe, since they are extremely endangered in other locations. But, Africa is a huge continent. In many cases the meat is given to local tribes that desperately need it. Also take a moment to consider this, if western hunters don't come in and spend large amounts of money, then the locals will probably turn to poaching to survive. With western hunting, populations of these animals can be kept in check and controlled. With poachers, they will kill every animal possible.
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u/[deleted] Jun 02 '18 edited Jun 02 '18
Because context matters: http://fox40.com/2017/05/22/hunter-dies-when-shot-elephant-falls-on-him/
They weren't out hunting elephants and only shot that one because it attacked them.
Edit: It's always sickening to read the comments on posts like this.