There is global uproar over the unlawful killing of Cecil, the Zimbabwe pride lion. The fury is not in defence of this one lion. It is against a man and a culture that believe killing gorgeous, sentient animals, not for food or to end a danger but to behead them for trophies and let their carcasses rot in the sun, is not grotesque.
Walter Palmer, the Minnesota cosmetic dentist who paid almost $55,000 to kill a lion in Zimbabwe, is so deluded about his fetishistic killing of big game that he fails to see why people are upset about for-profit big game hunting.
The UN General Assembly yesterday called on all countries to step up their efforts to tackle illicit poaching and trafficking in wildlife amid international uproar over Cecil.
The 193-member General Assembly adopted its first resolution on the issue following a two-year campaign by Germany and Gabon.
“Like most people in the world we are outraged at what happened to this poor lion,” Germany’s UN ambassador Harald Braun told reporters after the resolution was adopted. “Hunting activities are partly legal, partly illegal and it is this resolution which fights all the illegal aspects of it.”
US authorities opened a probe yesterday into the killing of Zimbabwe’s beloved lion, as the American doctor who hunted the big cat remained in hiding.
Two people involved in the hunt have appeared in court in the southern African nation on poaching charges, and furore continued to grow on American soil with calls to punish Palmer too.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service said it had opened a probe into the hunt.
Even the White House said that it will review the public petition to extradite the dentist.
The petition has exceeded the required 100,000 signatures, and the White House has said it will respond to all petitions that meet that level.
Bucking against outrage over the killing of Cecil, professional hunters argue that their industry follows strict rules aimed at preserving wildlife and supporting local people.
While many hunters acknowledge Cecil was likely killed illegally, they say the vitriol directed towards them is misplaced.
“Animal lovers tend to forget the benefit that can be derived by properly managing a resource,” said the president of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe.
“They can’t see it because their focus is on the sentimental value of trying to protect the animal.
“It’s a different ball game altogether in Africa because the social benefits from hunting are huge.”
A hunter must have a permit, must only hunt in daylight, on private land, or approved state land, and be accompanied by a park ranger. No hunting is allowed in national reserves.
Usually, a lion hunt costs from $60,000 to $120,000 and takes place over seven to 21 days. Under certain conditions, bait is allowed. The weapon of choice is a rifle, but a select few pay a premium for a bow and arrow kill.
Wildlife lovers worldwide knew of Cecil but many outraged Americans had never heard of the spectacular big cat.
The dentist, however, is a noted killer of big game. He was convicted of a felony in 2008 for his involvement in the poaching of a black bear in Wisconsin. He’s a member of the trophy-hunting organisation Safari Club, and his profile on that club’s website lists 43 kills.
