Trophy hunting import ban would be tribute to MP Amess
ALTHOUGH they say you should never judge a book by its cover, when it comes to people, there are some you know without meeting them that you’d leave firmly on the shelf.
A few weeks ago, I met exactly one of those guys – step forward, Phillip Smith.
I tracked him down to ask him why he reportedly paid more than £30,000 to fly to Zimbabwe to kill a lion.
You see, the bloodthirsty physiotherapist had, just a few months’ earlier, gone to Africa with the sole aim of murdering the king of the jungle for his sick pleasure.
He, like American dentist Walter Palmer who sparked worldwide outrage six years ago when he shot and killed Cecil the lion, thinks it’s fun to traverse the world executing animals to fulfil their bloodlust.
After finally tracking down Smith in Missouri, he, unlike Mopane – the famous cat he killed – was able to flee in his oversized truck to the safety and shelter of his lakeside home.
Not surprisingly, the fearful physio didn’t want to talk about his killing sprees.
He, like Palmer, refused to give answers as to why he thinks it is justifiable to kill such magnificent animals and then have them mounted on their walls.
Smith’s execution of Mopane – a dominant male – was even worse than the shooting of Cecil that shocked the world in 2015.
Both cats were lured with bait out of the safety of the same national park, shot with a bow, and left overnight to drown in their blood.
But whereas Palmer left Cecil to flounder in agony for 11 hours, reports state Mopane was left by his killer to suffer for no less than 24 hours before being shot dead by a bullet.
Both contemptible killers boast within their circles of being such great hunters, yet the pair so poorly shot their arrows they inflicted the maximum pain on their quarries.
The irony of how both of these idiots work in the health industry has not been lost on me. Away from making people feel better, they like nothing more to unwind from treating patients by killing animals for fun. What a genuinely sick society we live in.
Although Americans by far lead the way in the killing fields of Africa, shamefully Britain too has its fair share of big game hunters willing to pay big bucks to get their sick kicks.
Cases like the death of Mopane and Cecil highlight how governments are still prepared to turn a blind eye to such bloodsport.
The big game industry is financed by wealthy animal killers and gunmakers who plough millions into lobbying politicians and influencing international agencies.
The UK Government vowed it would ban British hunters from bringing home lion trophies after the case of Cecil but it has quietly shelved the pledge.
Around 90% of voters want Parliament to impose an import ban on all sick trophies right now, so what is Boris Johnson waiting for?
Before his shocking killing last week, MP Sir David Amess campaigned tirelessly to ban trophy hunting and stop the skins from being taken by hunters.
What greater legacy could Johnson give to someone who not only dedicated but gave his life to public service, than by passing a law that sees Britain have no more blood on its hands?
FINALLY, America has announced the date when they will allow double vaccinated Brits into the US.
From November 8, UK travellers will be able to return after 21 months of being locked out of the States due to the pandemic.
The US Government has thankfully listened to the science that protects those who have been doubled jabbed.
The lifting of the travel ban will crucially allow tens of thousands of Brits who live in America the ability to at last spend Christmas with their loved ones.
And to those who have not been able to fulfil their dreams of visiting Disneyland, they too will finally get their wish now that Joe Biden has ended America’s Mickey Mouse pandemic policy.
PINK Floyd rock legend Roger Waters has married for the fifth time – to his one time chauffeur 35 years his junior.
The British singer and guitarist, 78, announced he had tied the knot with Kamilah Chavis, 43, at his £12 million Bridgehampton estate in New York.
Taking to both his Twitter and Instagram accounts, the star posted several pictures of the newlyweds, writing: “I’m so happy, finally a keeper.”
She’s a keeper? It makes you wonder what his poor kids must think about his diminishing of their mums.
Shamefully Britain too has its fair share of big game hunters