It is true that elephants are a problem in some parts of Africa. They must be harvested, as in Kruger Park. However, experience has shown that killing individual elephants in a herd terrifies and deeply disturbs the others (who are, after all, the relatives).
Hunters who must thin the population in Kruger now take whole family groups at a time. The hunters are professional, and know what they are doing. Most of them respect the wildlife, and go for a clean kill with high-powered rifles, not minimal toys like that bow-and-arrow, which probably left the animal-victim to bleed to death overnight while her killer was snoozing comfortably.
The meat of the culled elephants is processed, and sold. If you visit there, you can have elephant burgers for lunch. The meat is very low in fat, and somewhat dry: not up to beef or impala, in my opinion, but it should not be wasted.
Looking at it from the girl’s viewpoint, she would have learned much more watching these animals than shooting them. The hunter never sees as much as the observer with a camera: of that I am sure. Furthermore, it is far more exciting to confront wild animals with only a camera, than armed with a lethal weapon. I have been charged by an elephant, and by a hippo, and have lain in the grass 20 feet from a rhino. There is nothing like an element of danger to get the adrenalin going.
I’ve hunted extensively with a bow, killed a number of animals and have seen many killed with a bow, including buffalo. With a well placed shot and a sharp broadhead that hits both lungs, animals typically die in less than a minute, many in less than 15 seconds. Admittedly, we’re not talking about an elephant, though.
I agree with most of your post. I disagree with the statement that hunters do not see as much as observers with cameras. A good hunter knows his prey inside and out. It’s habits, habitat, behavior, etc. That comes from observing, and remembering what was seen and under what circumstances.
Oh you are fooling no one..
You don’t like sport hunting so you make up some excuse to stop it.. Then of course you will want to tax all of us to care for “Your wild Creatures” to pay “our fair share”.
I think picture taking steals the souls of animals in fact pictures offend the spirits and are why the people in Africa are so poor.. I think we need to “tell the truth” Tell all the villagers the people with cameras are stealing their future and the future of their children. That the spirits will never bless them until all the picture takers are chased from the land...That when all the pictures are taken no one will need to come to Africa and the villagers will all starve..
(sarc)
W
“terrifies and deeply disturbs” the elephant? ? ?
Anthropomorphism, anyone?
Given that natives, from the diminutive Pigmy on up, killed elephant since “the memory of man runneth not to the contrary”, your plaintive bleat about “terrified elephant” arguably is many thousands of years too late.
Elephant are also wild animals and as such have been subject to predation when young or weak.
The natural world is not the Garden of Eden, where predator and herbivore live in peace and harmony. Animals do not often die in peace, they are killed by predators and that end is neither painless nor “terror free”.
One can enjoy the complexities of animal behavior, and still recognize and accept that one is, in the final analysis, playing with one’s food.
The issue in such “observations” is whether one waxes anthropomorphic and becomes one of the animal rights, pro-ESA types and thus is directly blamable for the debacle of the Kenya elephant herd decimation OR whether one accepts the complexities of life and restricts one’s anthropomorphic tendencies.
The latter belief structure leads to the South African management model.
Got elephant?
;-)