Death of Zimbabwe’s Best-Loved Lion Ignites Debate on Sport Hunting

Hunter of Cecil the lion - I did nothing wrong
2015-07-31 20:00


Rachel Augusta leads a group of protestors gathered in front of Walter Palmer's dental practice in Bloomington. (Glen Stubbe, AP)

Johannesburg - Professional Zimbabwean hunter Theo Bronkhorst told AFP on Friday he did nothing wrong on the hunt that killed Cecil the lion, adding he was shocked to find the animal was wearing a tracking collar.

"I don't believe I failed in any duties at all, I was engaged by a client to do a hunt for him and we shot an old male lion that I believed was past his breeding age. I don't think that I've done anything wrong," Bronkhorst said in telephone interview.

Bronkhurst's client, US dentist Walter Palmer, has gone into hiding amid a global outpouring of anger after he used a bow and arrow to shoot Cecil, a popular draw for tourists at the Hwange National Park.

"Both I and the client were extremely devastated that this thing had a collar on because at no time did we see a collar on this lion prior to shooting it.

"We were devastated... I left the collar there at the bait site and unfortunately that was stupid of me and negligent of me."

Bronkhorst was granted bail by the Hwange court on Wednesday after being charged with "failing to prevent an illegal hunt" when he led the expedition in early July.

He is due to stand trial on August 5.

"We had obtained the permit for bow hunting, we had obtained the permit for the lion from the council," he said, speaking from Bulawayo.

"We had done everything above board.

"I don't foresee any jail sentence at all, I think it's been blown out of proportion by social media and I think it's been a deliberate ploy to ban all hunting and especially lion hunting in Zimbabwe."

Thanks for dinner.

You beat me to it @hunthardsafaris! I saw that on Facebook too and was hoping I could get that lady could channel the chicken I had for dinner the other day!

Pro hunting yet anti trophy hunting. Carefull what you wish for

hunthardsafaris said:

View attachment 46016 All kinds of crazy getting on the "Cecil" wagon. What the hell is a Animal Communicator?

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I can actually enlighten you on this subject, sadly. About 16 years ago I took a trip to Australia with a tour group. In said tour group was a girl who claimed to be an "animal communicator." Essentially she believed she was a psychic who could speak to animals both living and dead. Of course it's a bunch of hooey nonsense, but this chick legitimately believed she could communicate to animals through their spirits. I think a lot of people in the tour group tried-her-on out of skepticism, and inevitably she failed every test giving her a chance to prove her "powers." She spent much of the tour at the back of the bus with her eyes closed in meditation or staring off into space out the window. It was actually kind of sad and I felt bad for her, mental illness is no joke.

hunthardsafaris said:

Pro hunting yet anti trophy hunting. Carefull what you wish for

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This guy has a TV show to sell, one that I don't think is doing so well to be honest. He's like every ex-military guy in the US that's looking for his 15 minutes of fame for being an "American Hero." Don't get me wrong, I support our troops here and their efforts. I have friends in different branches and my own brother currently serves in the army. However, there is this kind of level of mythology about Navy SEALs in the states that borders on comic book levels of hero worship. Unfortunately it also goes to their heads; many SEALs have an extreme air of arrogance compared to other team guys. Then again, this is all just one nobody's opinion.

Edited to show proper designation of "SEALs" instead of "Seals."

S.W. Smith said:

However, there is this kind of level of mythology about Navy Seals in the states that borders on comic book levels of hero worship. Unfortunately it also goes to their heads; many Seals have an extreme air of arrogance compared to other team guys. Then again, this is all just one nobody's opinion.

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I was in the Navy and worked with SEALs on several occasion. You are not far off with your opinion.

re: Joel Lambert, he's either stupid, mentally unstable or both.

Hogpatrol said:

re: Joel Lambert, he's either stupid, mentally unstable or both.

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He's got a TV show. He's just like every other "celebrity" that wants to draw attention to themselves during a big social media event; it's not about lions or hunting, it's about self-interest.

I get it now. He's just out to make a buck. Being TV, it's probably all scripted and fake anyway.

Ya'll write too fast! Slow down! I've been trying to read all this before I said anything and by the time I get caught up somebody has taken my idea. So here it goes.

The "Old Media" is our enemy.

Social Media could be a vital tool. However, the challenge is how to portray logic eloquently enough and fast enough to overcome emotion.

Education, is another point of entry into this theater. The Dallas Safari Club has sponsored the Dallas Ecological Foundation. Before you get nervous the DEF's office is located in the offices of the DSC.

So what does the Dallas Ecological Foundation. It provides curriculum, training, and financial assistance to bring Outdoor Adventure Classes into public education in Texas. This year I am going to get to teach four of these classes. 100 of my students are going to get their Hunter Ed. Certification, Boater Ed. Certification, National Archery in Schools Program, camping, fishing, and adventure planning. Below is the link to the DEF and the Outdoor Adventure Program.

http://www.dallasecologicalfoundation.org

So if you live in Texas, go talk to your neighborhood high school or middle school and find out if they have this program. If not start encouraging the school district to incorporate it into their program. The key though is the teacher. You may have to go recruit a teacher. You may have to introduce some of the staff to hunting and fishing so that they will become excited about the course. If you live outside of Texas, DEF has programs that fit into other states' curriculum.

When I look at pictures of protesters outside of the dentist office. I immediately spot the little kids dressed as lions being taught all the wrong information. These kids are being brain washed. They were not born being against hunting. A toddler sees a ball on the ground he chases it. That is the hunting instinct. Just like a lion cub chasing after a grass hopper. The difference is the human has a greater chance of being taught by his parents that his instincts are wrong. Talking about messing with a kids mind. I have been in the education business for a long time. In the first couple of days of school I can spot my students who have been properly educated as a hunter. There is a maturity in their lives that most of the other students don't have.

We have to be more aggressive in getting the message out. If you are a hunter in the media, start talking and filming. If you are a hunter and good at social media start posting. All of us need to get an Outdoor Education Program started in our local schools.

Big 5>>> But I do find it interesting that because I am someone who came out to say I believe his announced position on the Hwange lion matter was ahead of the facts and therefore premature I am somehow a member of a girl's junior high school clique. <<<

I apologize for getting a little pissy.

In defense of what Ivan Carter said. I am a member of an eclectic group on the internet that has been together for over 15 years. We were Social Media before there was social media. Everybody is kind of a "Crazy Uncle" there and the group includes the most anti-hunting and anti-firearm person in the world.
Carter's post was short, sweet and to the point. I was able to cut through some of the Cecil clutter and make a couple of points-by accepting the guilt of the hunter-at this point-it would be impossible to have any discussion with the general public without accepting the guilt of the parties. if it was legal so be it-and we will move on from there.

I have said this before-but I am not sure if the hunting community recognizes just how valuable the meat argument compared to other arguments is.

1) The Kenya Argument-Us hunter's love that argument, but anti's never engage on it-They will not touch it with a 10-foot pole and it is a little complicated for the general population.

2) The Conservation Argument-also complicated-works well with people who are inclined to agree with us anyway-Counter-intuitive for the general public and hard to get get across sometimes.

3) The "Meat" argument. When we got back from Africa, my biggest surprise was how the qualms of non-hunting women were calmed by our descriptions of how the meat was used. It just resonates and the antis have no answer for it. It is neat now to see some of our women friends on Facebook sharing our stories of meat utilization with other females and seeing that argument calm some of their qualms.

I live in rural Minnesota and the "Cecil" argument that is resonating very strongly here(among those inclined to agree with us) is that there are no fences between the park and adjoining land and that animals can roam freely.

Breaker Morant said:

Big 5>>> But I do find it interesting that because I am someone who came out to say I believe his announced position on the Hwange lion matter was ahead of the facts and therefore premature I am somehow a member of a girl's junior high school clique. <<<

I apologize for getting a little pissy.

In defense of what Ivan Carter said. I am a member of an eclectic group on the internet that has been together for over 15 years. We were Social Media before there was social media. Everybody is kind of a "Crazy Uncle" there and the group includes the most anti-hunting and anti-firearm person in the world.
Carter's post was short, sweet and to the point. I was able to cut through some of the Cecil clutter and make a couple of points-by accepting the guilt of the hunter-at this point-it would be impossible to have any discussion with the general public without accepting the guilt of the parties. if it was legal so be it-and we will move on from there.

I have said this before-but I am not sure if the hunting community recognizes just how valuable the meat argument compared to other arguments is.

1) The Kenya Argument-Us hunter's love that argument, but anti's never engage on it-They will not touch it with a 10-foot pole and it is a little complicated for the general population.

2) The Conservation Argument-also complicated-works well with people who are inclined to agree with us anyway-Counter-intuitive for the general public and hard to get get across sometimes.

3) The "Meat" argument. When we got back from Africa, my biggest surprise was how the qualms of non-hunting women were calmed by our descriptions of how the meat was used. It just resonates and the antis have no answer for it. It is neat now to see some of our women friends on Facebook sharing our stories of meat utilization with other females and seeing that argument calm some of their qualms.

I live in rural Minnesota and the "Cecil" argument that is resonating very strongly here(among those inclined to agree with us) is that there are no fences between the park and adjoining land and that animals can roam freely.

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You make some good points BM. I have had some of the same results in conversations. 1. and 2. can take awhile to explain and some peoples eyes glaze over. 3. is much easier to make.

Just read where Zim has suspended hunting for lion, leo and ele in an "area favored by hunters". Whatever that's supposed to mean. Here we go. It wont be long before others follow suit. Biggest croc of nonsense I have ever witnessed, well except for the re-election of Odumbo!!

And now just read that Jericho, Cecils brother lion has just been killed by a hunter! The hits just keep on coming! No other details about that one.

sestoppelman said:

And now just read that Jericho, Cecils brother lion has just been killed by a hunter! The hits just keep on coming! No other details about that one.

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Just about to post that.......Says it was poachers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...richo-shot-dead-poachers-Zimbabwean-park.html

I wasn't clear on that part, but assuming it was poachers it will make no difference to the anti's as they see no difference. In fact the anti's would probably sympathize more with poachers than hunters, after all poachers are just trying to make a living and feed their families right? Hunters are just murderers of poor defenseless little Bambi's.

http://www.news24.com/Green/News/Zi...g-rules-after-iconic-lions-killing-20150801-5

shared via News24

sandman0921 said:

Just about to post that.......Says it was poachers

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...richo-shot-dead-poachers-Zimbabwean-park.html

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Martin Pieters (a member here) just reported elsewhere that this report is in fact fake, and the lion had been observed by the research team at around 8:30pm.

Again, the media falls flat on their face...

Just read it again, so if its not true they are still running with it. And I have read twice that it was a hunter not a poacher that killed him. Lets hope its not true, if it is, its not going to be pretty.

Thanks for the offer, but I don't have any money (not even enough to travel to Africa right now). But sure, in the future I'd really like to experience walking among the wildlife and see the animals close up at eye level. But I really wouldn't want to kill any of the majestic African mammals. Perhaps I will never understand why anyone would hunt because I'm unwilling to kill. Perhaps someday I can join a hunting expedition as an observer.

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It's been a busy week for and I'm starting to catch up on AH. But you and all the antis really don't understand the big picture. Until you have hunted for a meal, you have not lived. Anti-hunters fill my facebook page with the lion is a majestic animal, it has more value, they are on the protected list, all hunters are evil......blah, blah, blah. It actually has cause me to stop letting them post this crap on social media. Until you have had to kill to fill your stomach, you really have not lived, you have no understanding of life and the value of it. Yes, the media and government has allowed people to live a comfortable life with having actually earning it. Maybe it's because I grew up on a dirt poor farm, that I understand life's daily cycle. But the fact of the matter is the internet has allowed a lot of people to live behind a computer without actually having to do any dirty work.