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It is unlikely that anyone has
missed the passing of Cecil the Zimbabwean male lion. This magnificent beast
who has become a celebrity in his native land was killed this week by a trophy
hunter. Trophy hunting is a legal pursuit having been previously banned between 2005 and 2008
[1]. Before I start to dissect this thorny situation I want to start by making
this primary salient point. I am deeply saddened by the loss of Cecil. Any
creature being hunted down is sad and the way in which Cecil died is not nice.
Although radio collared he was lured out of a game reserve where he was stalked
by an American dentist who shot him with a bow. Apparently bows give more
thrill than a rifle, nevertheless the bow did not kill Cecil and they had to
follow up and despatch him with a rifle before beheading and skinning him.
Rightly the dentist and his
guides have received much criticism for their actions and may even be subject
to criminal charges but in this post I want to sensibly approach a number of
factors, number 1 being the Cecil is not unique.
Cecil was a well established 13
year old male lion, he was part of a study programme run by the world renowned
Oxford University Wildlife Conservation Research Unit. They have studied the
Hwange lions since 1999. The team had tagged 62 lions as part of the study 34
of whom died. Death is a part of all species studies but in this case 24 of the
34 were shot by hunters. Cecil was well known locally and a visitor favourite
and his radio collar made certain that his death was noted, and this is my
first point. Cecil is not the first lion to be killed in this manner. He is
just another in a long line, in 2013 49 lions were killed for trophies [1] and
it is estimated that 560 lions each year across Africa are killed with most
carcasses being exported to the US [2] few of these animals got the column
inches that Cecil got, most in fact have gone unremarked in the wider press.
Due to our anthropomorphic nature Cecil however has become the poster boy for
lion conservation and activism. This can only be a good thing. News stories
such as this allow people like me and other writers to explain the problems and
let everyone know what is happening. It is sad though that so many unnamed and
less well regarded lions have died in the past until Cecil’s death has
galvanised the world.
The second point I want to address is this idea of trophy
hunting and how some claim that its use is somehow a viable conservation tool.
Lion numbers across Africa stand at 32,00 across 67 specific areas. To put this
in perspective between 1993 and 2014 lion numbers fell by 42% [3]. Since 1996
it has been listed by the IUCN as vulnerable and a lot of effort has been made
to stabilise and increase populations. Much of the research supporting this
effort has come from institutions like the Oxford Research Unit. Despite the
doom and gloom there are sparks of light. Lion declines are not global across
the board in fact in Botswana, India, Namibia and South Africa numbers are
actually increasing by 11% [3].
As already alluded to Trophy hunting is not a new pursuit
and has been legal since 2008. In fact the IUCN even has a suggested
sustainable limit of 1 male per 2000km2 as a guideline for species
management and financial gain [3]. Conservation is expensive and in poor
countries there is often conflict between local business and the need to
conserve. A study by IFAW questioned the financial worth of trophy hunting
lions challenging claims that it raised $200 million per annum for the local
economy [4]. Even if the income raised isn’t as high as this it is easy to see
that this is a lucrative market, a basic hunt can cost anywhere between $20,000
and $70,000 for 21 days. Analysis of Tanzania hunting however indicates where
that money goes, 3% goes in government royalties, 11% wages, a further 3% is
invested in local development and 22% goes to the wildlife division (The rest
on other sources). 22% is a reasonable slice going to the wildlife agencies.
Wildlife authorities are often poorly financed by central governments and so
such monies present a tempting lure and so here comes the ethical question.
Can lions be sustainably hunted? Licensing and permit
systems exist and if managed by adherence to population trends and local densities
then one is tempted to say yes. Does the loss of a lion balance out the number
of species or area of land that can be protected for all species? Would the lion
selflessly lay down its life for others? Would it acknowledge the good its
death brings to its fellow wildlife? The answer is undoubtedly no. Lions have
one goal, pass their own genes into the next generation, they care little for
the plight of the Leopard, and in fact they would probably welcome their
removal as a competitor.
This tragedy, the death of an undoubtedly magnificent animal
allows us to question as wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists as to where
we draw the line. We trap and kill mink in this country to protect Water Vole
and we cull deer to protect trees, these are conservation measures necessary
for species survival the key difference here is the human one. The reason we
abhor the killing of Cecil is more about the human nature it displayed. That
desire of one human being to despatch a wild animal, to stoke an ego or slake a
dark lust for blood. Were Cecil culled by a park authority due to population
size would the story be as big as it is. As usual it is the human aspect that
has attracted the press and not the wildlife conservation message.
Regardless of the cause it is up to us conservationists to
use this death to explain the complexities faced by field conservationists and
how species can be conserved. The general public need to be aware of the issues
and understand that they are not just idle bystanders, in the UK the best way
to support the lion is not to lambast the dentist nor to sign a petition for
extradition this does little more for the lion but to urge the African governments
to end licensed trophy killing in any form and to donate money to conservation
and aid agencies to ensure the local people are not driven to such efforts
through poverty. There will always be people willing to pay to kill so let’s
make the effort to take away their source. Take pride in making a stand.
[1] Time Magazine: http://time.com/3978116/zimbabwe-cecil-the-lion-poaching-hunting-wildlife-walter-palmer/
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