Easy as shopping online

Organising a hunt to shoot a lion is like booking a flight or shopping online. You google an animal, the words safari and hunt, and the screen fills with possible “outfitters”.

Often it opens with an enticing video clip of a hunter with a telescopic sight levelling his rifle at some animal, the jolt of the gun and the creature collapsing in the dust, thrashing about.

There will be a selection of animals, places and prices.

Clicking “Inquire” takes you to the booking service and from there arrangements can be made.

If there’s a picture list of the exact animals to be shot, it’s probably a canned lion outfit. That really is online shopping. Ethical, fair-chase outfitters will offer you opportunities but not make any promises. They will show testimonials, membership of organisations like the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa or Safari Club International, and notes from happy clients. It’s as easy as that.