Living in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul I've been watching this story closely on the local news. I was actually surprised when it went national and then learned it had turned into an international story.
People have hunted since the beginning. Like every animal we have to eat. Fortunately we have the ability to exist either carnivorously or as vegetarians and, most likely due to physical merits, males became hunters and females became gatherers.
As society grew we became farmers. This allowed the feeding of large populations and reduced the need to hunt. Men became the "bread winners" while women continued to gather (shop), rear children and handle domestic duties just as they had.
Farming grew to include both potions of our diets; meat and vegetables/fruits. We farm all types of animals to feed the worlds population; cows, pigs, chicken, turkey, fish, etc. Thank God for farmers! I like meat and don't have time to hunt for my own.
As farming grew the instinct to hunt remained. You can easily see this any day in your office, at home or walking down the street. Have you ever wondered why women walk so loudly while men don't? The instinctive gatherer in women taught them to make noise to scare predators away while the instinct to hunt in men taught them to remain as quiet as possible.
Some people made the transition from hunter to worker easily. In others the instinct to hunt remained strong. Some hunt to supplement other food sources, or to provide foods which aren't readily available commercially. Others hunt strictly for sport. Some hunt for sport veiled by the use of the animal they hunted.
I grew up in far northern MN where hunting was practiced by most males beginning at an early age. I remember seeing pictures of big game hunters in Africa with their kills. They were glorified. I saw a lot more pictures of locals with theirs; deer, bear, fish, partridge, etc. Growing up, every lodge was adorned with deer heads, racks and mounted fish (they still are). Back then there were a lot of animals in the world and not much regulation. I remember killing a couple of innocent animals at about 8 years old with my .22 (which I still have). I felt so bad I gave up hunting but don't blame anyone else for their enjoyment of the sport. Fishing never bothered me nor did seeing the mounted heads at the lodge.
Bow hunting is taking it to a whole other level. My oldest brother was an avid, if unsuccessful, deer bow hunter. Just before hunting season started we'd have deer all over the open fields around my parent's home. I used to be able to get the fawns to come lick salt out of my hand. A few days before deer hunting season opened all the deer would disappear. Animals have instincts and they aren't dumb.
So I see this story about a big game hunter in Africa who evidently paid his money to hunt a lion with a bow and arrow claiming he thought everything about the hunt was legal and proper. I see the clips of people protesting outside his business. I can even sympathize a little with the woman lamenting that the money she's paid him went to support this activity, although I suppose if she tracked every dollar she spent and where it ended up she'd be much more distraught.
Next I see he had a felony charge for killing a bear in WI outside the regulated hunting zone, which combined with the charge of luring this particular lion off the preserve begins to illustrate a pattern of offense. If this was a collared animal that only makes things worse. Today I see that Zimbabwe has initiated extradition while at the same time seeing that the local parties involved were released on $1000 bail.
I don't have any problem with this guy wanting to go big game hunting. I do have a problem if he wittingly did something outside the law and his background points to the possibility, although once this story reached the level it did every bit of dirt that can be uncovered on this guy will be and none of what he's ever done positive will be. I don't have a problem with his clients deciding to move their business but I do have a problem with false accusations and threats. I do have a problem with him being forced out of business before all the facts are on the table and the issue has been decided legally, not because of his livelihood, but because of the livelihoods of his employees.
A story? Sure. An international flashpoint? Give me a break. It's one man who may be a bit unscrupulous and one lion who was evidently beloved because he was old.
This has been blown WAY out of proportion.
