W alter Palmer will not be charged in the killing of Cecil the lion with a bow “because he had obtained the legal authority to slay the animal, a minister in the country reportedly said” — meaning that the dentist from Minnesota who was the target of vehement outrage from people all over the world because he allegedly killed the prized lion will not face prosecution because all of his hunting papers were in order.
Palmer — who is 55 years old — is free to return to Zimbabwe as a tourist; but he purportedly is not permitted to visit as a hunter, according to this article written by Alexander Smith of NBC News. He had reportedly paid $50,000.00 for the privilege to hunt with a bow in Zimbabwe.
Theo Bronkhorst — a professional hunter in Zimbabwe — has been charged with breaching hunting rules during the hunt by allegedly using bait to lure Cecil the lion out of Hwange National Park, where he was protected from being hunted. Bronkhorst — as well as an owner of a game park who was charged with allowing the hunt — deny the charges.
This latest news does not change my general opinion pertaining to the hunting of animals:
It is one thing for people to hunt for animals for food, clothing, medicinal or population control purposes — although the ethics of that can be debated depending on which viewpoint you believe. I have always felt that if an animal must be killed, then use all of it and let none of it go to waste: the meat for food and the fur for clothing, for example…
…but to simply kill an animal for sport?
As I have said in the past: I prefer to shoot animals with a camera — not a gun.
If you would like to see some of the animals which I am proud to have shot during a safari in which I participated in Kenya earlier this year, please refer to these photographic essays…
- Zebras: A Photographic Essay
- This Photographic Chronology is For the Birds — or OF the Birds — of the Masai Mara
- The Lion With One Eye — and His “Pride” and Joy: A Photographic Chronology
- Cheetah Successfully Hunts Prey: A Photographic Chronology
- Hanging Out With the Elephants at the Watering Hole: A Photographic Chronology
…and there are more photographic essays to come. Please stay tuned…
Photograph ©2015 by Brian Cohen.
