Posted on 08/01/2015 11:54:07 AM PDT by GoneSalt
The killing of a beloved lion named Cecil by a trophy hunting dentist from Minnesota has an outraged American public asking: What kind of monsters would kill a majestic big cat for fun?
Unfortunately for one Republican presidential hopeful, the answer is: his sons.
Donald Trump was forced to weigh in on the issue this week after a gory photo of his trophy hunting sons resurfaced online, tying his family to the very practice that has sparked fierce backlash in recent days. When asked for his response at a press conference in Scotland this week, Trump was reportedly far from condemning of the fact that his sons had a hobby of killing innocent animals, too. "My sons love to hunt," The Telegraph and The Daily Mail report Trump said, though he reportedly refused to directly address shooting endangered animals. "They are members of the NRA, very proudly. I am a big believer in the Second Amendment. But my sons are hunters, Eric is a hunter and I would say he puts it on a par with golf, if not ahead of golf. My other son, Don, is a hunter. They're great marksman, great shots, they love it. I em, like golf. I don't do that."
As benign as he makes it sound, Trump's sons are hardly run-of-the-mill hunters. The family's fortune has apparently been used to fund safaris to Africa, targeting beloved animals like elephants and leopards — hunting trips that can range in the tens of thousands of dollars.
While the senior Trump has stated before that he's not a believer in hunting, his unwillingness to discourage the practice outright given the chance stands in contrast to the reaction of other public figures.
I've been there...recently.I've talked to Kenyans...I've seen the soldiers.I stand by what I said...hunting certain kinds of animals,particularly certain *African* animals,is bad form.
I used to live in Kenya. Kenya has not permitted hunting for 40 years. Many countries in Africa do. I also lived in Congo. Hunted there too. Big stuff. Hehe.
As far as I know any kill by local law has to go to the local village’s...
Like abortion, hunting lions is allowed in Africa. So it’s okay.
That is profound.
Oh, the Kenya tourist is an expert? I lived in Congo and Kenya. I lived in a reserve in Congo. There is nothing “bad form” about a hunt in and of itself. There is no such thing as “endangered” in Africa, except possibly sanity.
Next time don’t buy the Sally Struther’s crap, and don’t assume a continent twice the size of the U.S. is exactly like the tiny experience you had.
All Kenya has is eco tourism. That is why they don’t permit hunting, not because any animals are scarce. Anyone that has seen the biannual migrations in the Serengeti from the air as I have, would worry two seconds about “endangered.” Of course, I didn’t attend public school in the U.S. either.
“F Cecil, we’re glad he’s dead.”
-The Zebras
OK,so that at least partially proves my point.Which African countries are the most popular for Western tourists wanting to take photos? I'd say Kenya,Tanzania and South Africa...not necessarily in that order.The many countries you mention...which ones? You've confirmed what I heard our guide say about Kenya,which is surely one of the most popular destinations for Western tourists.How about Tanzania,for example?
Guess it just depends on the color of the hunter!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH807CimP3c&app=desktop
As I said, if Cecil’s killer were black, this is a non-story.
Where do you people find this shit?
Yes, I keep hearing this but there were plenty of animals in the Serengeti and no one was killing them....at least that I know of.
I support http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org. This is where my heart is concerning the animals.
If he was out hunting down and lopping off the heads Christians no one would say a word.
How many different migrations are we talking about? Yes,there are millions of wildebeest...every National Geographic documentary ever made shows *their* migrations.Never seen any such videos of millions..or even *hundreds* of rhinos,elephants or lions migrating.
Today,hunting wildebeest may not,in fact,be "bad form".But hunting rhinos,for example,is...unless,of course,you're one of the millions of Chinese willing to pay a fortune for powdered rhino horn,thinking it will help you during your visits to your concubine.
Ok, first lions are not endangered. Second the trophy hunters keep the animal populations in check and provide a reason for the locals to keep the animals around.
Places that allow trophy hunting have more animals then places that do not.
If I have a herd of elephants hanging around my farm I am not going to be happy because they are very destructive and dangerous animals.
In a place that allows trophy hunting I can alert the game warden and they can arrange a hunt which will result in the death of one or two animals, drive the rest of the herd to where they will not be a problem for me and will result in a nice income bump for the area. There will also be a great deal of meat and other raw material that will be used locally.
In a place with no hunting I turn a blind eye as people kill the animals, take the tusks and leave the rest to rot. Why should I care?
The monies paid for these hunting trips are used for Animal Husbandry and game management projects.
As well, they are used to mitigate poaching, which is destructive and no long term strategy for protecting species.
They are now using something that causes the horns and tusks I think too to fall off so that the animals are not poached for that. Armed men stand guard on the animals.
You should care because God is watching you and hoping you will ask him to guide you.
I have a wealthy friend in northern Michigan who has been on several African safari's and is active in several Michigan wildlife organizations designed to improve the populations of their specific game......
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