Big Game Hunting: The Only Way to Save Africa's Animals?

Posted by Sara on January 20, 2020

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Bullets pierce through the faces of safari animals. You expect some whimper or noise; only, these animals are steel-plated practice targets, set up for would-be hunters who train for the real thrill of an African safari hunt. If hunters upgrade to the real hunt, they will seek out the most endangered and protected animal species in the world in hopes of them dropping DRT - dead right there. Among the most endangered and protected species falls the African Big 5 - the African Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant, Lion and most reverent, the endangered Black Rhino. With many trophies proudly displayed across American homes, and the large publicized death of Cecil the Lion in 2015, conversation about trophy hunting has sparked and remains a hot topic ever since.

New propositions have formed since the 2017 documentary Trophy was released, directed by Christina Clusiau and Shaul Schwartz. Trophy provides a 108 minute look into the complex interactions between big-game hunters, poachers, and anti-poachers, and their subsequent roles in saving the world’s wildlife. The film highlights a few select individuals in the hunting world who have taken the stance that they are killing for conservation. The film also calls attention to animal rights activists that claim that killing these animals, on the contrary, is cold-blooded and cruel. Before diving into these organizations and individuals, let’s first familiarize ourselves with the current status of the BIG 5.

Today, each animal comprising the Big 5 is facing critical threats and depletion.

• African (Cape) Buffalo
  • Once having a population of over 900,000, the African Buffalo has now been named a near threatened species as of 2019.
• Leopard
  • No longer found in 40% of their previous habitats throughout the continent of Africa.
• African Elephant
  • Approximately 20,000 African Elephants are killed each year, or roughly 55 elephants per day.
• Lion
  • Classified as a vulnerable species, they are extinct in 26 African countries.
• Rhino
  • 500,000 Rhinos used to roam Africa- today that number dwindles to 30,000.
  • Rhinos are critically endangered and are poached at a rate of 3 Rhinos per day.
    

Our world’s wildlife as a whole is rapidly disappearing. Many now speculate that we are in the middle of the Earth’s sixth mass extinction. Disease, human population, and habitat loss are all major contributors to animal extinction - but for poaching and hunting are the major factors for big game animals. All eyes have turned to the USA as Americans represent the majority in hunting culture. It is reported that out of all hunters traveling to Africa, 70-80% of them are American. As such, and due to some highly publicized events, outrage at trophy hunting has swept through America. In 2015, thousands took to the streets and to social media to protest trophy hunting in the name of Cecil the Lion. Delta, American, JetBlue and 37 other airlines banned shipment of the Big 5. Jimmy Kimmel cried on his late-night show discussing the event.

It is said that Cecil's death has been the world’s largest response to a wildlife story in history. As time goes on, flared emotions settle, but conversations about trophy hunting still continue out of the limelight. Two primary stances on trophy hunting have formed:

1. Hunting fuels conservation.
2. Hunting is cruel and inhumane.

First, we take a look at a popular hunting ranch in Texas and their take on big game hunting.

Year round, avid hunters flock to Tim Fallon’s 12,000 acre FTW Ranch. While there, guests hone in on their marksmanship skills, learn to take the perfect shot, build confidence, and simulate as realistically as possible an actual safari hunt. This San Antonio ranch offers a specialty “Sportsman’s All-Weather All-Terrain Marksmanship” (SAAM) safari training, which costs $4,450 per person. This comprehensive package trains hunters specifically for African big game hunting. After completion of the 4 day SAAM safari course, hunters feel confident in their dangerous game hunting skills and are ready to travel to the African savannas.

On SAAM Safari School website, the training session is advertised for all those who are:

planning a dangerous game hunt in Africa, or some other far-reaching destination, and for those that have ever dreamed of experiencing an African safari, similar to the likes of Roosevelt, Hemingway, Rourke or Capstick.

Catering not only to the romantics - Tim Fallon also reminds us readers that African animals have primal intent to harm:

SAAM Safari prepares you for the excitement and dangers of facing quarry that may rip you to pieces if given the opportunity.

Navigating from SAAM’s intense and savage safari training page to their ‘About Us’ page, one might expect some redeeming paragraph stating that while they support the thrill of the hunt, they also support the longevity of animals. Yet, there is no mention of animal conservation. Focus is exclusively on rugged hills, valleys and fair-chase hunting experience. All in all, Tim Fallon and the FTW Ranch do not seem overwhelmingly concerned with putting their hunting towards conservation efforts. Taken most disingenuously, they seem to simply kill for the thrill.

Do you find it moral for us as humans to hunt big game? Can we hold these organizations and their patrons to a higher expectation for partaking in the sport of hunting? Next, we look at a well known veteran of the FTW ranch and his personal take on the issue.

The Hunters

Phillip Glass, a well-known native Texan hunter, ranch farmer, and SAAM Safari Class Veteran has gotten much attention after he was featured in the 2017 documentary, Trophy. Glass is most recognized for his creationist views. His comments in the film were seen as divisive - claims such as “God gave us the power to do as we please with animals”, as well as a biblical “privilege” to hunt. In the film, you learn that Glass has killed four of the Big Five animals with only the Black Rhino remaining on his list. His victorious leopard trophy can be found on SAAM’s testimonials page. Despite comments regarding his right to kill, Glass firmly asserts his stance that he loves animals and only partakes in ethical hunting. To that, quoted from an interview, Phillip states that he does plenty of research on the anatomy of animals years ahead of his hunt to ensure an ethical shot. He attends hunting school (SAAM), and pays large sums of money towards conservation to offset the loss of the animal that he has killed.

We have the opportunity to observe Glass shoot and take-down a bull elephant in Trophy. Death is not instant, and the elephant shrieks before ultimately expiring. Glass has discomfort written on his face. He states in a later interview that it can be difficult to watch, but he assures us that he ultimately does not feel remorse about killing any animal. In his mind his executions are, in a sense, saving these trophy animals from “being ‘torn limb-by-limb’ from some sort of other crazed, ferocious animal.”

Glass states in his SAAM testimonial that he killed a “cattle killing leopard” - while we haven’t been able to independently vet the validity of this fact, Phillip clearly projects a moral intent in his hunting.

Glass appears to put in his due-diligence before each hunt, pays for the animal’s loss financially, and perhaps seeks out animals that have become a nuisance to the community. While Glass does not outwardly promote hunting directly for conservation, are the thousands of dollars he spends on each trip to Africa a net positive for the wildlife conservation as a whole?

Certainly some organizations exist purely for profit and have their solely focus on trophy collection. However, not all are about killing for the sake of the sport. Some are declaring that their main intent for hunting is for the purpose of conservation. Next, we look at Corey Mason, who holds a Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in wildlife management, is a Certified Wildlife Biologist, was a regional director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and is currently the CEO of Dallas Safari Club.

Dallas Safari Club

Dallas Safari Club proclaims themselves “a mission-focused conservation organization, funded by hunters from around the world”. While their administrative staff only has 15 members, they are supported by hundreds of volunteers. Upon entering DSC’s website, their mission statement and intent are clearly outlined. The club wishes to help with conservation through “mission-driven programs annually”.

As a few examples, they perform quail research and fund elephant and lion projects in Africa. Secondly, they advocate for hunters’ rights and the second amendment; they work to elect candidates who share these values at both the state and federal level. Lastly, DSC is involved in outreach programs to educate a wider audience on the sportsmanship of hunting - specifically targeting youth, women, and conservationists.

If one chooses to become a member of DSC, you gain a year membership with the NRA, special member discounts from stores such as Cabela’s and Midway USA, and access to a social calendar which includes plenty of luncheons, breakfasts, silent auctions, and seminars. The seminars have a variety of speakers and topics - some examples offered for the year of 2020:

• Caleb Causey, Stop the Bleed
• Craig Boddington, Hunting African Buffalo
• Dan Adler, Long Range Hunting and Ethics
• Michael Coppersmith, First Time Safari: What to do before, during and after your hunt
• Marina Lamprecht, We Hunt for Life
• Julian & Sons, Designing and Building Your Trophy Room

Unlike Tim Fallon’s FTW ranch, Corey Mason’s Club does not actually hold any land for hunting and does not offer practice classes for big game hunting. However, they are involved with hunting affiliates who offer big game hunting. Dallas Safari Club is sponsored by corporations such as Trophy Shippers, Trophy West Guide Outfitters, Wild Hunting, and multiple hunting safari companies -- all of which offer the chance to hunt the Big 5. One of those companies is Rungwa Game Safaris.

Rungwa Safari is located in Tanzania, offers the chance to hunt big game, but makes it clear that they are premeditated and calculated about the animals hunted within their region. They quote that in their hunting areas, “effective anti-poaching and management of sensible game quotas combine to produce fine trophies and, above all, a top quality safari experience”.

Similarly, Dallas Safari Club is also sponsored by HartzView Hunting Safaris in South Africa. This company offers multiple Big 5 packages, one of them being a 14 day Elephant hunt priced at $45,000. While HartzView does not explicitly make a statement regarding any conservation efforts, they do take a more professional stance than the FTW Ranch. There is no talk of facing quarry that may rip you to pieces -- focus is exclusively on the professional experience you will have while working with their staff of hunters, trackers, and professional camp staff.

Beyond running the business, Dallas Safari Club “raises funds for grants in conservation, outdoor education, and hunter advocacy”. In the past five years, they have generated more than $5 million for qualified projects, organizations, and programs in support of their mission. DSC believes that hunter’s rights and wildlife’s rights go hand in hand - it can be a mutual friendship rather than a parasitic one.

Buffalo Dream Ranch

Traveling from Texas to South Africa, we now meet a man that shares a similar mindset as Dallas Safari Club in regards to conservation, albeit he views hunting from an entirely different lens. Buffalo Dream Ranch, owned by John Hume, is the world’s largest private rhino project. John Hume is a 77 year old rhino breeder who has devoted a large portion of his life, as well as over $50 million USD (claimed, not proven), towards saving the rhinos. Hume is disgusted by both poaching and hunting, yet whole-heartedly believes legalization is the only way to save our planet’s animals, and is beyond passionate in fighting for his cause.

It is an uphill battle to save the rhinos, and Hume is losing ground. This doesn’t deter him though; Hume perseveres in advocating for his cause, regardless. He owns a Rhino Farm spanning nearly 20,000 acres which is home to 1,626 rhinos. Hume appears in Trophy, and holds nothing back in showing his disdain towards poaching. At one point in the film, he comes across a Rhino calf crying and frantically circling around its now dead father. Hume is enraged by yet another death of one of the Rhinos under his watch and care. Clearly frustrated, he makes remarks in regards to whomever killed the rhino as a “f*cking sick” person.

Watching the distraught and defenseless rhino calf is difficult to watch, but for many, so is the opening scene of Hume and his staff tranquilizing rhinos, blindfolding them and removing their horns. After the viewer sees the relatively quick, full procedure, Hume explains that the operation is harmless and ultimately saves the rhino’s life. How would this save the rhino’s life?

After dehorning, Rhinos are of disinterest to poachers; this is because poachers kill rhinos to extract their keratin horns to sell on the black market. If there is no horn, then there is no sale.

On Hume’s ranch, Rhino horns are trimmed regularly, about every two years. Hume describes the procedure as less invasive and troublesome than a person getting their wisdom teeth out. Once the rhino is subdued from the tranquilizer dart, the staff quickly uses a hand-held electric saw to trim down the horn. During the procedure, the horn is kept wet with water, helping the rhino remain calm. Within minutes of the trimming, the rhino is back on its feet and trotting off. The staff then measures the horn and locks it away for safe-keeping.

Hume claims this dehorning is necessary to keep the rhinos alive. Many animal activists disagree, claiming that it causes unnecessary distress for the rhino.

Even disregarding the morality of trimming horns, there is more to the story.

Hume’s more unpopular opinion is that the rhino horn trade needs to be legalized in order to save the rhino population. John vehemently advocates for the rights of rhinos, yet also proposes selling their horns on the market- a puzzling and perhaps suspicious proposition that the public does not easily grasp. However, Hume provides logical reasons and evidence to back up this belief. His farm, the largest rhino farm in the world, is filing for bankruptcy partially due to the amount of money pouring out to keep the trimmed rhino horns locked and secure.

Hume reports spending $400,000 a month on security, veterinarian bills, and overall maintenance of his farm, which he says has “virtually no return” financially. Bills this large have run the project to the ground. With rhino horns being more expensive than gold or heroin by weight, billions could be made from his stock pile of horns. Money, Hume claims, is necessary in order to keep his project going and to save the species. Right now, he is able to breed around 200 rhinos annually, but without his farm, the species may entirely disappear.

In order to save his farm and the rhinos, Hume has taken his fight to the legal system by advocating for a lift on the rhino horn trade ban. Hume won his case in 2017. Now, in South Africa you are able to legally sell rhino horn. Hume held a public auction not too long after the legalization went into effect. With these auctions, he plans on funneling all profit back into rhino conservation. Unfortunately, the earnings were less than projected and overall, underwhelming. While the exact numbers are not publicized, Hume reported that he would have liked to seen much more. With South Africa being home to 80% of the world’s rhinos, Hume hopes to see better profit in the future now that the ban has been lifted - that money, he says, is critical in his efforts of saving the rhino population.

Although Hume’s initial public auction was not as profitable as planned, the legalization of rhino trade still has potential for dramatic effect. In theory, with the horn legalization, the price of the horn will drop on the black market, in turn generating less profit for poachers (see what is happening with marijuana legalization in the USA, as a similar example).

The largest purchasers of rhino horn are China and Vietnam. These countries have a long-rooted belief that the horns carry medicinal powers - help with fertility, and they symbolize status and a position of authority. In the most ideal future, commoditized rhino horn becomes less special to society, and the demand for this ‘exotic’ product will drop.

What do you think - does legalizing the sale of rhino horns help deflate the high-demand of animal product? Will the money raised from the legal trade outweigh the potential consequences? Or is John Hume just out to make a quick buck?

While some people support John Hume for his valiant efforts to save the rhinos, others run on the platform that the trade system should not win at all. Opposing factions believe that no animal should live in any state outside of their natural habitat and that no hunting of any animal should ever take place. Rather, wildlife should remain as it was intended: wild.

Born Free Foundation

Born Free Foundation is a wildlife charity that opposes “the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong – in the wild.” Virginia McKenna, a Born Free Activist, states that “Man’s insatiable need to own, to possess, to manipulate, to have everything his own way, is wrecking the balance of nature.” Born Free works tirelessly across the world and is currently involved in 22 conservation projects across 20 countries. The non-profit takes a loud stance on opposing everything related to poaching; they believe that the currently legal trade of Rhino horns and all that encompasses the big business of poaching should be outlawed. It is Born Free’s belief that only through cooperation between governments, conservationists, media, and the public, can we keep the “wild” in “wildlife”.

Elsa’s Legacy, a project run by Born Free, is a program that aims to support the lions in Meru National Park, Kenya. Elsa was an orphaned lioness that became famous from the 1960 book Born Free (which also later became a movie). Elsa was orphaned and raised by conservationists and was, after time, successfully re-released into the wild. During Elsa’s time, Meru National Park flourished with wildlife; however, by the 1980s, the park had changed drastically because “the park was overrun by poachers and its wildlife was decimated”. Elsa’s fame and Meru National Park’s history sparked Born Free Foundation to start working with the park to repopulate its lion numbers. Present day, the park has around 80 lions, up from merely a handful. Elsa’s legacy lives on. Further, the Born Free Foundation continues to see success in other projects as well:

• Pride of Amboseli
• Giraffe Conservation Foundation
• Elephant Research & Foundation

Through these projects, Born Free has been quite successful. Most notably, they helped cause in an increase of 11.05% in giraffe populations in the country of Niger. They have provided countless predator-proof “bomas”, which are fenced enclosures around communities, that have a 99.9% success rate in preventing lion deaths according to the Biodiversity and Conservation Journal. Lastly, they have been involved in the longest running elephant research project in Africa. This elephant research has provided valuable insight on the Elephant’s incredible intelligence and behaviors. In turn, this information can be used to help with conservation as well as increase tourism in the area.

In addition to research, Born Free Foundation is a major sponsor of the Maasai Olympics. Born Free has helped convert previously violent Olympic games into non-violent alternatives (from lion hunting games, high jump and javelin toss). All in the effort of inspiring future Maasai people to avoid harming the wild populations of African animals. Much success has been seen across Born Free’s efforts and initiatives, but the question remains: is this enough meaningful impact? Do we need hunters and their funds to make conservation efforts really effective at scale?

Lastly, we look at an individual who is passionate about saving animals, is against hunting unless it is calculated and cautious, and is willing to go to extremes to hunt down the poachers themselves.

Anti-Poachers (Zimbabwe Wildlife Officers)

Chris Moore is an anti-poacher and a Zimbabwean wildlife officer. Moore’s standpoint on saving the animals comes down to control, morals, and sustainability. Anti-poachers work closely with government officials as well as the community. Their end goal is to protect not only the animals, but also the local people. It is for this reason that Moore supports the hunting of some animals that have become an extreme threat to the people and communities around them. In Trophy, Moore discusses with a family the issues they are having with an intrusive lion. Said lion has repeatedly shown up at their house and eaten their livestock - the family has become concerned with their safety. Out of fear, the family is left with no choice but to keep their cattle in their home with them for safe keeping. Now, they have an entire family plus a cow in their home, possibly an open invitation for a lion attack. This is a prime example of when Moore would allow a trophy hunter to hunt this particular lion, otherwise he would kill the lion himself.

While Moore supports killing an animal when completely necessary, he also works relentlessly to protect those same animals from ruthless poachers. Moore and John Hume, the Rhino Breeder, share a few sentiments. Moore agrees that cutting the horns of rhinos and selling them is a more sustainable approach to consider, because the region where he lives, the rhino is extinct - they have all been poached for their horns. Beyond this, Moore, like Hume, is outraged by poachers. He goes through great trouble to find and punish them within his area. In Trophy, you see Moore enter a local Zimbabwe home in the late night that has a known poacher living in it. Along with local armed staff known endearingly as “the black boots”, they burst in demanding to know where the poacher and his weapon are. Moore and his anti-poaching staff line the locals up outside and warn them of the danger of poaching, seize their weapons, and leave.

Scare tactics are heavy in Chris’ strategy - showing consequence of actions to the poachers is vital. He tells the local boys, some of whom have fathers that poach, that if they begin poaching, it is likely that they will be killed by anti-poachers such as him in the field.

In an interview with Build Studio, Moore says hunting is a part of life in Africa. Without being born and raised on the continent, seeing and observing wildlife through all your ages - it may be hard to understand. Oceans set the continents apart, and there is an understandable disconnect between the Western world and Africa. He draws this conclusion from looking at Cecil the Lion, who was killed in Zimbabwe. Moore discusses that Zimbabweans generally did not understand the outrage with Cecil, as the number of animals allowed to be hunted in Zimbabwe include the population within Hwange National Park, where Cecil primarily lived. According to Moore:

There is a huge disconnect... but to us it [Cecil’s death] was this weird thing that we didn’t really understand.

Animals can be a threat to people, their communities, and their way of life and from time to time need to be taken care of. For this reason, he supports hunting. In his mind, a hunter pays for the right to hunt, and provides a substantial amount of money to the community - it is a fair deal. This stance is widely referred to as the “if it pays it stays” model. The idea is that foreigner funded hunting is a dramatic improvement over poaching, as a poacher is otherwise butchering the animal with no gain to the community. In addition, the legalization of hunting promotes an open market rather than a black market. Still, some say that Chris Moore’s work and position on “if it pays it stays” is pure irony. He goes to “extreme lengths” to take down poachers, but then turns around and supports trophy hunters. In the eyes of animal rights activists, what’s really the difference between a poacher and a trophy hunter?

Nevertheless, Moore stresses the need for sustainability. He agrees that hunting, poaching and conservation are confusingly intertwined; however, with sustainability and teamwork at the forefront, a triumphant conclusion can be drawn for both the people and the animals. What do you think? Is Moore’s projected “if it pays, it stays” model a sustainable approach like he pitches, or is it glorifying trophy hunting and animal cruelty?

Conclusion: Keep the Five Alive

Species are becoming extinct and animal populations are quickly depleting. The death of wildlife is crippling Africa and tugging at the hearts of everyone worldwide. Indeed, this matter is extremely complex, layered, and messy. Humanity is struggling to come together to resolve this crisis. In lack of a unified approach, individuals and organizations pitch their own solutions. A few organizations, such as Tim Fallon’s ranch, exist purely for profit, but many more want to see the animals kept alive by whatever means necessary. Phillip Glass supports increasing the animal populations so that he can hunt. Dallas Safari Club commits themselves to conservation matters through the symbiotic relationship of hunters and animals. John Hume has devoted his life to saving the Rhino species through a controversial medium of selling Rhino horns legally. Born Free Foundation works tirelessly to save the animals in a pure & non-exploitative manner. Chris Moore seeks sustainable answers for both the animals and the locals through controlled hunting.

There are many different crossroads, but we all have the same end goal: Keep The Five Alive. Just when we seem on the precipice of defeat - there is hope:

• Ten years ago, roughly 20,800 rhinos roamed Earth. Today, rhino numbers hover around 29,500 – a 41 percent increase in 10 years.
• We faced a rhino poaching crisis in the year of 2008. The highest number of rhinos poached in history was in 2015. 1,349 rhinos were poached for their horns. Since 2015, the number of poached rhinos has been slowly decreasing.
• “Elephant poaching is trending downward, with significant declines in East Africa” - World Wildlife Organization

We have seen great success from the diligent work of these individuals and organizations involved. Let us know how you think we can best solve the crisis. Without your support, the campaign of “Keep the Five Alive” might have to downgrade to, “Help Revive the Five”.

Knowledge is key - only with awareness of the issues, can we take action against them. Share this post and spread the messages of these organizations. No matter whose solution you agree with, there is only one way to "Keep the Five Alive": Take action into your own hands.