Killing Cecil The Lion In Africa

“Until we have the courage to recognize cruelty for what it is — whether its victim is human or animal — we cannot expect things to be much better in this world. We cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. By every act that glorifies or even tolerates such moronic delight in killing, we set back the progress of humanity.” Rachel Carson

There is a scene in the movie Dances With Wolves that I always remember. The “savage, wild Indians” come across many rotting dead buffalo killed by the white men. They stare in sadness and disbelief because they only killed an animal for food, took as much as they needed to survive and used every part of the animal. Killing them for any other reason was shocking to their culture.

I don’t understand killing unless it is in self-defense or for survival. To lure an animal out of a protected game park, for the reason of killing him slowly and painfully with a bow and arrow, and following him for forty hours to finally shoot him sounds diabolical.

Sport hunting is a violent form of recreation. I don’t get it. Why is it fun to kill innocent unsuspecting animals who have done nothing to you? Hunting has contributed to the extinction of species, disrupted migration and hibernation patterns, devastated animal communities , caused hours of unnecessary pain and suffering to animals before they die, and broken up families.

When the leader of a pride of lions is taken out as a trophy, the current pride must find itself a new male lion to fill this now empty role. When the new male lion comes in, he will systematically kill every lion cub that the old male lion produced, ensuring the future of the pride is his own lineage. If you are taking out male lions from prides even on a one per year basis, it’s not hard to imagine how cubs would have a hard time flourishing.

Big game hunting in Africa is trophy hunting, It contributes nothing to the African community development and seems to be about feeding the egos of the hunters. We are the only species that tortures and kills for amusement. Animals are being killed with devices such as guns and bows and arrows that they have no natural defenses against. If it is really about the beauty of a dead animal head on your wall, next time take a photo of a live one instead.

I heard that the American dentist was in hiding. He has become the prey that the predators are looking for. As he well knows, a man on a hunt is an animal to be feared.

Fly safe Cecil,

JAZ