He reportedly said he wanted to cooperate fully, but the Fish and WIldlife service has been trying unsuccessfully to reach him.
There are tall fences, and they are electric. But a lion could be led down a road going out of the camp. Makes me wonder what the gate was like. The places I’ve been, there are strong gates that are guarded 24/7.
The fences around Kruger National Park and the adjacent preserves enclose over 7,000 square miles. I think the park that Cecil was in is over 5,000 square miles.
I do apologize if this has been posted (haven’t kept up with thread!) but cartoon that’s been making the rounds today:
It’s called “The Lion’s Revenge” (not graphic)
http://www.okrabiscuit.com/cartoon/the-lions-revenge/
Pretty good cartoon!
Look up “Majingilane Male Lions” on Facebook if you want to see some amazing animals. They’re the coalition we watched kill an adult male buffalo. I guess everybody has a Facebook page these days.
bclintock - I stand corrected, but 60 million dollars is still a huge chunk of change.
“He reportedly said he wanted to cooperate fully, but the Fish and Wildlife service has been trying unsuccessfully to reach him”
It shouldn’t be a surprise to them that he’s not answering his phone. Why would he answer his phone, so he can hear the death threats?
“A Seattle area resident has stepped forward to defend Walter Palmer. He notes that he, Palmer and other big game hunters should be considered saints among hunters. I can’t even begin to understand his mindset.”
He’s a brave guy for speaking in defense. Wonder if the frenzied wackos are going to threaten him, surround his house, and try to destroy his business too. Shoot, he probably hunted Mufasa.
I have not read this whole thread, so I am probably repeating what has already been said. But who cares, here goes. I do not hunt but do not condemn people who do If it is for the meat to eat and skin to use. But to kill a magnificent animal such as this lion for sport is, in my opinion, evil.
How does a human, with presumably more intelligence, technology, a weapon and help (guides) to hunt, find this sport? It is murder. A dentist does not need lion meat to eat.
@busdriver11 Now he knows they want to talk to him, so we’ll see if his cooperation extends to picking up the phone.
I remember when the black bear hunt was reopened in Maryland. People thought it would take several weeks for the hunting quota to be reached, after all bears are big and dangerous animals, unlike deer.
It took three days.
The second year of the hunt, the first bear was bagged by a third grade girl who had been taken out of school to go hunting.
The animals just don’t stand a chance. Unless they are small, boring, and can hide well. It is not a sport of the animal doesn’t stand a chance, it is just a killer stalking a victim.
Its quite likely the caller ID on his phone says “Fish and Wildlife Service”, wouldnt ya think? Besides, he’s already hired a PR firm and an attorney. Someone should be communicating with the fish and wildlife service. His ducking them does not look good for someone who “wants to cooperate fully”.
“@busdriver11 Now he knows they want to talk to him, so we’ll see if his cooperation extends to picking up the phone.”
It is even easier than screening calls - his legal counsel can arrange such a meeting… Since the guy has had frequent run-ins with the law, I’m sure he has a good lawyer or two on retainer.
A guy who can face up to the mighty African lion should have the courage to pick up the phone and risk hearing a few cuss words.
Earlier someone mention The Lion. King…So That Happened made a trailer for “The Liok King: The Retribution of Cecil”.
Ora TV - http://www.ora.tv/sothathappened/2015/7/30/exclusive-trailer-the-lion-king-the-retribution-of-cecil-0_34wk7vkyql2u
YouTube - http://youtu.be/zMPq9YPAArw
In the case of African big game hunts like this one, the hunts have to be set up to maximize the chances that the animal will be found and killed. That is the entire point of the business. Experienced guides know how the animals behave, where they hang out, what is the best time of day to find them, how to approach them, etc. If the patrons pay $50,000 and travel all the way to Africa and get nothing, the business would not exist. Even with all of the guidance, there is no guarantee of a kill, and in this case, it looks like the dentist almost came home empty-handed. He was probably on the property for a week or more, and the one lion they could find (even with bait) that he was able to take a shot at, got away and wasn’t found for almost two days later. It is obviously not as easy as you think.
Is there any evidence to support this or is this speculation? How long do these big game hunts take? Do they know going into it that it could take days and no guarantee they will kill an innocent animal? What else did he shoot while there or was he only gunning for a big male lion?
I find this quite distasteful. There is a cost for the airfare, lodging, meals, guides, equipment (though this felon shouldn’t have had a gun!) , etc and it adds up. No one said it was cheap, but it was his choice to incur these expenses. People charter big, expensive fishing expeditions and come home empty handed all the time. It is what it is. Did he have some sort of guarantee? This is like gambling. You pay to play. No guarantee. Otherwise he should fish in a stocked pond. Blech. Disgusting.
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In the case of African big game hunts like this one, the hunts have to be set up to maximize the chances that the animal will be found and killed.
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That can’t be called a hunt. That is stalking, as @greenwitch said. Or slaughter.
I’ll repeat something I quoted upthread: "Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides know they’re in the game. " What chance do these animals have in this despicable activity?
“After a couple days, the outrage will move on to something else.”
I don’t think the outrage will move on. Many people care passionately about the welfare of wildlife all over our planet. Many people see fundamental unfairness in a group of individuals, using vehicles and bait, drawing an animal out, putting an arrow into it and having it suffer for 40 hours. These people are not “wackos” (post #226), either.
Any small business owner should recognize that when they engage in an activity that a great many people find distasteful, brutal and/or unfair, there will be a substantial risk to your livelihood. He obviously recognized this because he acknowledged that he usually refrained from discussing his “hobby” with his patients. He thought people wouldn’t notice in this instance. He was wrong.
Two weeks ago, we saw six leopards and 10 adult male lions, along with many female lions and cubs, on our eight game drives over five days. They are EASY to find. The rangers in the area stay in radio contact with each other and alert the others as to where the animals are. And as I think I already mentioned, the animals totally ignore people in vehicles. Even I could have killed several lions if I’d tried.
Its a legal business. Most people who engage in it don’t care whether others find it disgusting. Just like smokers and obese people don’t care that others find their habits disgusting. Or that vegetarians find meateaters disgusting.