Hunting’s natural benefits
IT’S OK not to like trophy hunting, just as it’s OK not to want to think how that nice juicy steak made it to your plate.
It’s not OK to condemn others just because they view an activity differently to you. Especially when that activity is essential to your own cause.
Despite what you might think, death in nature is rarely quick or pretty.
Most older animals die slow painful deaths from starvation or injuries. Trophy hunting is big business. Animals are not shot at random, a certain number are specially selected each year. Older larger animals bring the top money.
Hunters pay many thousands of dollars and the money goes back into breed- ing and protection of the resource. Many animals, such as the sable antelope, would be extinct today if not for game parks.
In the 1960s the African government passed a law that all elephant ivory must remain the property of the African people.
As such they were able to flood the world market with cheap legal ivory.
This stopped the poaching trade overnight.
Unfortunately pressure from animal liberationists led to worldwide embargo of ivory.
The black market price skyrocketed and the cruel poaching continues. So ask yourself: “Am I doing what’s best for the species or adding to the problem?” Jim Murdoch, Brinsmead