Why is it legal to hunt lions and leopards and did he deserve the vitriol?

[msrisotto]

The guy who killed Cecil the lion.

I think it's pretty sick and I don't understand the mindset.

[Sparklingbrook]

I can't understand why anyone would want to kill a lion for fun.

[NashvilleQueen]

Me neither but it is legal. The issue here, for me, is how a protected lion came to be outside the park so that they could shoot him. Was it lured deliberately? Did the hunter know this had been done? Did the guides who were with him? Was it apparent that he had a collar on at the then of shooting?

Lots of people pay lots of money to hunt legally in countries where it is permitted. Personally I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to. However the debate on Twitter seems to have progressed to one about the morality of hunting per se. If it turns out he knew or agreed that they would seek out a lion from a protected area (or even turned a blind eye to the possibility) then he should face whatever sanctions are available.

[ArgyMargy]

According to Radio 4 he has said he is sorry for killing "such a famous lion". Presumably he assumed it was fine to kill anonymous ones. I'm continually astonished that there are people who still think it's fine to kill game.

[Sparklingbrook]

YY lots of really horrible activities are legal I would imagine, but anyone with any intelligence wouldn't do them. Plus post pictures of it. Horrible.

[Enchufla]

What i dont understand is why hunters are allowed to shoot lions and rhinos etc when zoos are breeding them in conservation projects. Unless theyre a different type of lion? Not sure why the guy is getting it for killing this particular lion though, all big game hunting is wrong imo

[Eastpoint]

I've been to a game reserve where the cheetahs wore radio collars and the ranger we were with simply turned on his detector and we walked up to quite close to them. You can see the collar clearly & it felt completely fake (this was not a reserve where shooting took place).

I think it was despicable behaviour and that people need to bear the consequences of their actions.

[Quinandthem]

He is only sorry he killed a famous lion due to all the negative press and attention brought to him and his dentist practice.

[NashvilleQueen]

He's clearly a repugnant man. I have no truck with that.

[Sparklingbrook]

YY a dentist, highly educated, making it even more baffling.

[TobleroneBoo]

He paid the Lions "protectors" to turn a blind eye and I hope he gets punched in his smug face and damages his laughable over white teeth

[GerundTheBehemoth]

The idea is that it can be done sustainably, and that revenue generated from trophy hunting can be channelled back into conservation. But it may not always work that way in practice. This is what the IUCN says about trophy hunting for lions:

'Trophy hunting

Trophy hunting is carried out in a number of sub-Saharan African countries and is considered an important management tool for providing financial resource for Lion conservation for both governments and local communities. However, there is concern that current management regimes can lead to unsustainable offtakes (Packer et al. 2006). A sustainable offtake level of one male lion per 2,000 km² has been recommended (Packer et al. 2011), but offtake is higher in many areas, which suggests that it is potentially a threat (Lindsey et al. 2013b). Trophy hunting can thus be a tool for conservation but also a threat, depending on how it is regulated and managed (Whitman et al. 2004, Loveridge et al. 2007, Packer et al. 2011).'

[ThoseAwfulCurtains]

The amount of time between hitting ut with a crossbow and finally killing with a gun is horrific. What a very stupid man.

[Sparklingbrook]

I don't understand that at all.

[SantasLittleMonkeyButler]

I was just reading about this.

The countries who allow "big game" hunting justify doing so by saying that the huge amount of money it brings in is needed for the conservation of the wildlife in general. And that only the eldest and/or sickest animals are allowed to be hunted - the ones who would die before long naturally .

It makes me so angry, this shouldn't need to be illegal or legal. It simply shouldn't be something that human beings want to do. Save for survival (lion about to attack yourself or your family e.g) or is cases where a Ranger euthanises a clearly unwell & pained animal.

The thought of this being classed as a hobby is obscene.

[ThoseAwfulCurtains]

I agreeSantas I can't imagine how it would appeal to anyone other than the morally bankrupt and yes he does deserve the
vitriol. Legal doesn't always = moral.

[southeastastra]

americans are wacko when it comes to hunting, and guns...

am sort of glad to see all the publicity on facebook etc when someone poses with their latest kill.it's about time.

ricky gervais is pretty spot on with his tweets.

[DoctorTwo]

According to the Beeb and other news sources including the well known propagandists RT, Cecil was lured out of the reserve and shot with a bow. It took him 40 hours to die. Two people, a professional hunter and a tracker have been arrested. I hope this sorry excuse for a human being gets what he deserves.

[YeOldeTrout]

News is saying shooter was done for Poaching in USA, too. I've no sympathy.

[Fantasyland]

If this man has a family then he is a very stupid man as he and his family will be potential targets from animal activists now.

I do think there is something wrong with people who hunt animals for fun and I wouldn't associate with anyone who hunted for fun.

[ThoseAwfulCurtains]

Given his track record, this is a man who clearly thinks that the law doesn't really apply to him. Attempting to shift the blame is also dubious as he's not prepared to accept the consequences of his own actions. He needs the maximum possible punishment in law but as he has aleady shown that he thinks the law doesn't apply to him, I think he does deserve what he gets with regard to public and media condemnation.

[Damnautocorrect]

There's photos of this awful man with a white rhino (!!!!) and a cheetah he had killed.
I can't and I never will understand the mentality of it. Let alone with an animal such as the rhino which are in such trouble for their horns (made of the same stuff as finger nails!!!)

Cecil was lured out the safe zone to be shot, hit with a bow, tracked and found 40 hours later than shot. They tried to take his collar off as it was a gps tracker. Hence how the reserve knew what has happened to him.

[Ohwhatfuckeryisthis]

Easy someone posted on Twitter today " Regardless of anything else, if you kill animals for fun then know this: I am better than you. Period, asshole."

[msrisotto]

I'm really surprised that trophy hunting is basically a business plan, I honestly think it should be banned. Hunting to eat is so different from this sick tourism.I saw someone on Twitter say he would have been better off spending that money on therapy to figure out why he likes killing beautiful animals!

[CordeliaFoxx]

Thing is it's not 1 animal that dies, and these assholes don't think of this, another male will now take over his territory, will kill any young in order to bring the females into heat to produce his own.

Hope he gets what he deserves,.

[CordeliaFoxx]

Not that killing 1 animal would be ok - just read my post and wanted to clarify that.