[D Rider]

The only places where Rhino populations are growing is where they can be legally hunted. That said, the trophy fee can be as high as 1/2 a million.

[D Rider]

“Traveling halfway around the world to shoot some of the world’s most magnificent, and threatened animals is shameful,” Nicole Paquette, vice president for wildlife protection, said in a statement. ”Many of the species that Ms. Jones has killed face declining populations due to loss of habitat and poaching. Amidst this crisis, trophy hunting only adds to the threats to the survival of these iconic species and is nothing more than a thrill kill. Our affiliate, Humane Society International, works in the field to protect wildlife and prevent human-wildlife conflicts in Africa and around the world. Rather than pose for social media with these rare species, lying lifeless, Ms. Jones should support true conservation efforts to combat poaching and protect both animals and communities.”

This is willful ignorance based purely on emotion. Ms. Jones is correct. Hunting places value on animals and habitat that would otherwise not exist. This is the best and only proven protection.

[Hot Tabasco]

I have a friend who has taken two month long hunting safaris to Africa at approx. $35,000 per trip.......

He then gave slide show presentations of each trip to the local schools, explaining that the hunts are highly restrictive (licensing) and necessary to the local economies in terms of providing the meat to the local tribes.

As a side note, at the time of his second trip, his wife headed north to Alaska for a caribou hunt of her own.........

As another side note, my friend, his two brothers and one of his nephews were all eagle scouts......