It's all over the news and social media. Beloved Lion from a wildlife preserve comes onto private property (allegedly lured) and killed by an American dentist who had paid big money for guides and permits in hopes of killing big game. I'm saddened by the death of the lion, but more saddened by the avalanche of media and public shaming of a dentist who seems to me more a victim than a perp. I honestly don't like killing big animals, though I deal cruelly with the mice in the garage or a copperhead in the garden. But I know and like a lot of hunters and I can certainly see where killing a mature male lion with a bow and arrow would be an incredible thrill ... buck fever times 100.
What I hope doesn't get lost in all of this is how much hunters and sportsmen have contributed to wildlife habitat preservation and reintroduction of species to areas where they had been all but wiped out. I've seen dramatic increases in deer and wild turkey population in areas where despite spending countless hours in the wild, I seldom spotted them as a youth.
Last edited: Jul 30, 2015