Lion Hunts and Ethics

**Bushboy** · 28-01-2010, 09:55

I just read the article in the latest Magnum mag about how NOt to hunt a lion and it intruiged me and reminded me of a lion hunt I accompanied many moons ago.

It was the mid 90's and I was working as a game ranger at a well known lowveld private game reserve. You know, the type where all the wealthy bunny huggers go to photograph the game protected from all those nasty hunters? Well let me tell you that although it was always kept as quiet as possible and denied vociferously, it was quite regular. even though hunting in th ereserve was quite frequent, predator hunts were not very frequent as they tend to seriously upset game viewing and that was not good for business. On this occassion a dominant male lion had just had his a@# handed to him by a new coalition that had appeared on the scene and he had been driven out of the pride. This old boy was a magnificent specimen that had now been reduced to living life on the run from this coalition and the neighbouring coalition, so he spent his days creeping around an area of broken country and drainaige lines pretending he was a leopard. It was just a matter of time before he was cornered and killed by other lions, so the decison was made to have him hunted and then at least there would be some revenue and by loosing him it would make no difference to the current lion population except to settle them down. (the local coalition would not feel the need to run off looking for him, making them harder to find)

So a client was quickly rustled up and a well known and respected outfitter and PH was appointed. The party arrived and I and another ranger were appointed "property owner representitives" and sent along to ensure the right lion was taken and that everything went as planned. The PH decided on baiting the lion in and then shooting from a blind. We knew this lion intimately, having viewed him almost daily for years (myself at the time for about 1 year) and had tracked him on foot many ,many times so we objected and said we could easily track and locate this lion in a day and get in close enough for a good shot. He overruled us saying the terrain was too broken and dense to be safe for his client, so we conceded. In due course a wildebeest was hot and strung up in a likely location, and then came the next compromise. " Why waste time building a blind when we can just as easily use the vehicle as a mobile blind?" (remember this lion was accustomed to vehicles and you could drive as close to him as you liked provided you didnt actually drive over his tail). We rationalised that at least then he can get close and not stuff up the shot. Then out came the tapes, squealing pig and jackals. Naturally this attracted every meat eater in the vicinity including the big male. This was at night so the shoot was gonna be under spotlight, not such an indescretion as lions are not adversly affected by the spot and behave as normal. Any way when the lion got up on his hind legs and presnted a nice exposed vitals shot the ph instructed him to shoot. And then chaos erupted. Some how this pratt client had managed to cock it up and shoot too low (the lion was standing vertically so basically further back on the ribs through the lungs). Loverly! The lion now very grumpy and hurting like h#LL disapears into a kubu berry thicket. So now we wait..... and wait... lion is not dying but grumbling non stop. OK plan B is now in operation, just open the coolerbox and lob some cans of coke into the bush, which erupts in fierce growling and shaking. The bush is too thick and we just cant get any closer in the vehicle, we are only 10m away. PH turns to us and says take the mag light and go round te other side and see if you can flush him out so we can get a shot. We pointed out that it was his stuff up and he could flush it out if he dared leave the vehicle. (lets just say that things were now a little strained). He resorted to throwing a few more cans, same result. Eventually, with all the manuevering and crashing about with the vehicle, the lion moved to another bush where he was more exposed and a finishing salvo was the end of the suffering. The big brave client was ecstatic with his kill and the PH was "congratulation that was a magnificent lion" and then the staging of the photos began. I and my colleuge were disgusted. There was no fair chase and no honour in this. The PH had no other thing on his mind other than to get it done and get the cash, and the shameless brown nosing and ego inflation of the PH to the client was embarrasing to watch.

I have more thoughts on this but I think there is enough to get the thread started

**umshiniwam** · 28-01-2010, 10:54

It must have been terrible to see an old warrior killed in such an undignified manner.

Unfortunately I think this kind of thing is rife today and happens a lot more often than we would like to believe.

I honestly don't know how one can stop it though. If the client is willing to pay to kill a lion by unethical mean, there will be a PH who is willing to let him do it.

A sad state of affars that creates ammunition for the bunny-huggers.

**MyLani** · 28-01-2010, 10:56

I agree. You will always find clients and PH's who are happy with a quick, unethical shoot.
It must have been a moral dilemma. Do you tell the PH to get stuffed and stalk the Lion, and risk the PH rather going to a farm where he can do as he pleases, or do you just accept it in order to get him off the property asap.

**Bushboy** · 28-01-2010, 11:10

And here is the real dilema:
Do we condone these type of strategies which usually end in quick clean kills (ok this was an exception I suppose) and reduce the risk of suffering or do we force the old fashioned walk and stalk lion hunt and get lions shot at longish distance by clients shaking in thier boots, and risk someone (usually the poor tracker) getting munched. In the former there is no sport or honour, but a conservation and humanitarian goal is achieved (through the revenue and humane death). The latter method is definitely sport, but may result in disaster.

**MyLani** · 28-01-2010, 20:52

It's a PH's job to ensure that the quarry is killed as quickly and cleanly as possible. And it's also his job to ensure that the quarry is hunted ethically and fairly.

**Bushboy** · 29-01-2010, 06:51

Originally Posted by MyLani

It's a PH's job to ensure that the quarry is killed as quickly and cleanly as possible. And it's also his job to ensure that the quarry is hunted ethically and fairly.

Quite right, but of the many PH's Ive met, many (not all) seem to have a very flexible ethical and moral standard.