Hunter in Zimbabwe cancels lion hunt raffle after protests

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Hunter in Zimbabwe cancels lion hunt raffle after protests

Christopher Torchia, Associated Press

Updated 8:50 am, Monday, January 11, 2016

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A professional hunter in Zimbabwe has canceled a plan to raffle a lion hunt at a hunters' convention in the United States, following protests from activists.

LionAid, a UK-based charity dedicated to saving lions, trumpeted it as a "VICTORY FOR CONSERVATION!!"

Martin Nel said he is scrapping the raffle in which he hoped to sell 100 raffle tickets for $1,500 each in Las Vegas next month. LionAid had expressed shock at the proposal, which focused attention on the heated debate about whether hunting hurts already vulnerable species, or can help them by raising funds for conservation.

. . .

The conservancy defended its record, saying cattle ranchers had wiped out lions, rhinos, elephants and other wildlife in the area decades ago. Established in 1994, the conservancy reintroduced lions in 1999 and today has a population of nearly 500 as well as a significant number of endangered black rhinos, it said.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/science/article/Hunter-in-Zimbabwe-cancels-lion-hunt-raffle-after-6750227.php

[swilton]

1. This notion of 'we have to burn down a village to save it'

was discredited decades ago in Vietnam......

Thankfully, this and sort of listing African lions on the Endangered Species list will do more to save the planet's biota.

[happyslug]

2. But South African Lions are only "Threatened" not "Endangered".

West African Lions are "Endangered", but Lions in Southern Africa are only "Threatened". The terms are important for it is completely illegal to import into US any "Endangered" animal one kills, but legal to import any "Threatened" animal one kills if you follow the rules in the country to take that animal in.

Lions in southern Africa has been increasing in numbers in recent years, while the number of Lions in West Africa have been dropping, by numbers exceeding the increase in Southern Africa. You can argue that the hunting policy of South Africa, Nambia and Zimbabwe are bad, but that is ehere we see the population increase when it comes to Lions. In country that ban hunting of Lions we see tge greatest drop in Lion numbers.