Cecil the lion – bowhunters speak out over ‘illegal’ hunt
Following the now infamous killing of Cecil the lion, bowhunters around the world are in the spotlight.
INTERNATIONAL outrage has flooded social media after an American hunter James Palmer killed Cecil, a rare black-maned lion in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.
The story has sparked an international debate about hunting regulations, specifically the trophy hunting of big game.
And now the spotlight has fallen on bowhunting practices, and it seems the incident with Palmer is at odds with the accepted ‘moral standards’ of bowhunting.
Moral fibre
Pierre van Wyk, president of the African Bowhunting Organisation spoke to the Zululand Observer, and has agreed the prosecution of the professional hunter would be justified.
‘If the farm owner or professional hunter acted outside the Zimbabwean regulations regarding the hunting of a listed predator, then I am sure they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and rightly so,’ he said on Thursday.
He noted that it was interesting that hunter Theo Bronkhorst who appeared in court on Wednesday, was only charged with the ‘failure to prevent and illegal hunt’.
‘The charges are a far cry from the poaching allegations that we were made aware of,’ he said.
Grey area
Van Wyk also spoke about hunting regulations in South Africa, which has also sparked international debate in the past, due to canned lion hunting scandals.
‘There are still some grey areas relating to specifics of our Hunting Norms and Standards regarding lion hunting,’ he said.
The points he raised include, but are not limited to, the following:
- SA Hunting Norms and Standards were repealed on condition that the change to ‘Hunting Guidelines’. These notices were never published in the Government Gazette nor was a date published for the implementation of such.
- Lions are the only Listed Large Predator (LLP) excluded in government regulations of endangered or threatened species that cannot be hunted, but should be listed as per Supreme Court of Appeal ruling.
- Again, no amendments were published in the Government Gazette after the conclusion of the court case, (Predator Breeders Association vs Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism 08/09)
- National Biodiversity Management Act Regulation 26 (8) excluded lions, but all regulations relating to listed/threatened and protected species (rhino, elephant, crocodile and LLP’s) are still in place.
- Permits in terms of NEMBAS govern all lion activity in SA
- Lions can currently be hunted with a bow and arrow in SA
‘Any organisation is only as strong as the moral fibre and acceptable behaviour of its weakest member,’ said Van Wyk.
‘This needs to be mirrored in the members’ actions at all times.’
Police in the US are currently investigating threats against Palmer, whose current whereabouts are unknown.
Palmer issued a statement earlier this week, saying he was sorry for killing the lion, and claims his guides had ‘misguided’ him.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority also said an investigation in the case suggests “that the killing of the lion was illegal since the land owner was not allocated a lion on his hunting quota for 2015. Therefore, all persons implicated in this case are due to appear in court facing poaching charges.’
Both Bronkhorst and the land owner Trymore Nldovu were released on $1000 bail on Wednesday.
DID YOU KNOW?
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
BBM – 25A0BF5A or 2B7993C8
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
