Chapter 17: Giraffe Reminisces
A fully mature giraffe bull stands at up to 19 feet in height and weighs about 2,600lbs, and whilst a lot of sport hunters are a bit queasy about killing giraffe, I’ve even had clients saying they don’t show non-hunting friends any of their dead giraffe photos for fear of a seriously negative reaction!
The above observation aside, from an ethical perspective and if it is wildlife management related, I don’t see any difference whatsoever between the shooting of an impala or giraffe. This unease about hunting a giraffe no doubt stems from their overall Disney image, and portrayal on celluloid and in kiddie stories, not to mention the fluffy toy industry.
Personally, I’m not entirely comfortable seeing a giraffe shot either, however, one has to be both objective and pragmatic, and when it comes to wildlife management on enclosed properties, whether they’re 1 million acres or 8,000 acres, the rifle at times has to become the regulator – when this happens, there is no room for emotion – and be it a wildebeest, zebra, impala or giraffe the numbers have to be regulated. Giraffe only have two predators to worry about, man and lion and on many properties where giraffe are found, lion no longer roam.
Chapter 17: Photo Caption: My good friend Brian Spradling of Denver, Colorado, with his magnificent giraffe bull taken on the BVC while hunting with my Zimbabwean PH colleague Dean Kendall.
