Community Chat

[Pearlee]

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@GingerPeach wrote:

We've already discussed that at length on the other threads.

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Yes, we have. 

[Shorty2U]

I do agree one does not have to do with the other, however this really made me rethink eating meat (no matter how little), even though it is different. Thank you for your opinions and i know everyone is rightfully upset about what happened to Cecil. I am too. But I wish you all wouldn't argue.

[Kachina624]

I don't see this situation as having anything to do with eating meat or not.  I do think we have plent of illegal hunting and poaching in this country and don't need to be demanding that another country do something about theirs.  Nobody eats lion meat so that's not the issue.  The issue is illegal or immoral hunting, whatever you want to call it.

There many more serious abuses taking place for which there is no outrage.  For some reason the death of this one animal has incited hysteria in America or maybe it's just on Internet boards.  It's being investigate but at this point we don't even know if local laws were broken.  To put things in perspective:

NAIROBI — While the world mourned Cecil, the 13-year-old lion that was allegedly shot by an American hunter in Zimbabwe, an even more devastating poaching incident was quietly carried out in Kenya.

Poachers killed five elephants in Tsavo West National Park on Monday night. The carcasses were recovered by rangers on Tuesday morning — what appeared to be an adult female and her four offspring, their tusks hacked off.

While the killing of the lion in Zimbabwe has attracted the world’s attention, the death of the five elephants has received almost no coverage, even though elephants are under a far greater threat from poachers than lions. Their tusks can be sold in Asia for more than $1,000 per pound.

[Justice4all]

Lion meat IS eaten in American restaurants.  Lion tacos are sold in Florida.  You like??

[millieshops]

Cecil's death had nothing to do with hunting for food/meat -  and it's this kind of over-the-top argument that makes dealing with trophy killing so difficult.

I have no objections to people choosing to eat meat, I have no objections to hunting for food or raising animals for food and/or clothing, but hunting strictly for sport in the manner which led to Cecil's death is abhorrent to me.

I do believe, though, that those who despertely want Cecil's death to mark a turning point ending trophy hunting for endangered animals including lions, elephants, rhinos, etc. need to stay focused on that goal and not expect to change the world's eating habits at the same time.  That's just not going to happen and they weaken support for a more achievable goal. 

[debic]

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@SydneyH wrote:

The whole story reeks of hypcrisy, very few are villifying the actual members for the guide team that helped lure Cecil from the park.  Had it been any other animal, it would be business as usual imo.

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This  ^  While I can't fathom trophy hunting, it's been going on for centuries.   

[debic]

Also the man was not out poaching, he paid good money for the hunt.  

That kind of money does wonders for village people.  I'll assume that's why any country that allows it does.

[Say Nay]

The issue of trophy hunting is more about poverty in undeveloped nations (one of the guides is a farmer) and citizens of countries in American and Europe using their wealth to obtain what would be deemed unacceptable, even illegal, back home. 

[Say Nay]

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@debc wrote:

Also the man was not out poaching, he paid good money for the hunt.  

That kind of money does wonders for village people.  I'll assume that's why any country that allows it does.

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The money does not go to a village. It goes to the company.