Any animal killers here?

General Chit Chat
Message
Author
Capetonian

Re: Any animal killers here?

#181 Post by Capetonian » Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:12 pm

I am sure our Botswana contingent know about this and would wish to comment :
After elephant killings, Botswana mulls lifting hunting ban
2018-09-12 21:22

Botswana launched a review on Wednesday of a 2014 hunting ban imposed to reverse a decline in elephants and other wildlife.

The prohibition on big game sports hunting was the work of ex-president Ian Khama, a keen conservationist, to shield species decimated by hunting and habitat loss.

But lawmakers from the ruling Botswana Democratic party have been lobbying to overturn the ban, especially on elephant hunting, saying populations have become unmanageably large in parts - placing the animals on a collision course with humans.

Khama's successor, President Mokgweetsi Masisi, launched a month of nationwide consultations on Wednesday that could ring in the end of the ban.

Consultations with different interest groups, in the tourism hub of Maun, "commence this afternoon," Rural Development Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi told AFP.

"President Masisi is scheduled to meet researchers. Tomorrow he will address a kgotla (traditional gathering)."

The review comes five months after Khama relinquished power to Masisi, and just days after a wildlife charity said about 90 elephants were slaughtered for their tusks in Botswana in recent months.

Masisi's government rejected Elephants Without Borders' claims of a pachyderm massacre.

With its unfenced parks and wide open spaces, landlocked Botswana has the largest elephant population in Africa, at over 135 000.

The number of elephants on the continent has fallen by around 111 000 to 415 000 in the past decade, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

User avatar
Mrs Ex-Ascot
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 4582
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Age: 59

Re: Any animal killers here?

#182 Post by Mrs Ex-Ascot » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:28 pm

Yes I have been following this story since we returned from Greece.

The following points I think are pertinent;

1, Any change in government /incumbent President is going to result in people /groups wanting to reverse legislation that they disagree with. So the pro hunting lobby have started to manoeuvre to reverse the hunting ban.

2.Human /animal conflict is an ongoing concern . Most of it is caused by allocating farm land to people which is in the middle of known elephant migratory routes. There is at least one NGO working in the affected areas to ensure land is better allocated to minimise any such conflict. Also, research has shown that since the hunting ban, human/elephant conflict has not increased as claimed by the pro hunting lobby.

3. There is an ongoing debate as to whether poaching has increased recently or not due to disarming the antipoaching unit in protected areas where no one is allowed to carry or use a gun . The data collected by Prof Mike Chase as regards elephant deaths due to poaching is being questioned by government and various pro hunting groups. I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in the middle of both side's figures.

4. There has been no suggestion that the trophy hunting ban should be reversed; just that legal culling of elephants in certain areas should be allowed.

5. Most importantly to me is the fact that the government here listens to the people which is why they travel around and talk to the people in Kgotla meetings where the people have their say and express their personal grievances and views. How many African countries get anywhere near to Botswana's democracy?
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7595
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Any animal killers here?

#183 Post by G-CPTN » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:33 pm

What does elephant meat taste like?

User avatar
Mrs Ex-Ascot
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 4582
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:18 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Age: 59

Re: Any animal killers here?

#184 Post by Mrs Ex-Ascot » Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:45 pm

G-CPTN wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:33 pm
What does elephant meat taste like?
To be honest I don't know, but any meat to hungry people is tasty I guess. This is one thing that really bugs me about elephant poachers, the meat goes to waste. At least with elephant culling the meat gets given to the needy, which is what happened recently when a rogue elephant had to be destroyed near a remote village.
RAF 32 Sqn B Flt ; Twin Squirrels.

Cacophonix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8327
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 10:14 pm
Location: Wandering

Re: Any animal killers here?

#185 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Sep 13, 2018 4:55 pm

Mrs Ex-Ascot wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:45 pm
G-CPTN wrote:
Thu Sep 13, 2018 3:33 pm
What does elephant meat taste like?
To be honest I don't know, but any meat to hungry people is tasty I guess. This is one thing that really bugs me about elephant poachers, the meat goes to waste. At least with elephant culling the meat gets given to the needy, which is what happened recently when a rogue elephant had to be destroyed near a remote village.
I agree with your sentiment Mrs Ex-Ascot and where such meat is available then it shouldn't be wasted but I am fundamentally against the of killing rare and endangered species (as I know you are) and believe that it might be better to kill the poachers and eat them. These restaurants that make a fetish out of eating exotic animals are also an abomination to my mind.




Caco

Capetonian

Re: Any animal killers here?

#186 Post by Capetonian » Sun Oct 14, 2018 1:04 pm

Once again, an innocent life has been taken by an animal killer pretending to be a 'hunter'. These people really are a danger to life and limb, and the Frogs will shoot at anything between the size of a mosquito and a 747, regardless of whether it's edible or not, although they will eat stuff that most animals would reject.
British cyclist shot dead by hunter in French Alps

14 October 2018 • 1:31pm

A British man has been shot dead by a hunter in the French Alps, police have confirmed.

The 34-year-old victim, who has not been named, died on Saturday evening after being struck by a single bullet while cycling in thick woods near the resort of Les Gets.

It is thought the 22-year-old gunman, who was with a part of local hunters opened fire after mistaking the cyclist for a moving animal.

The victim, who is understood to have lived in the region for sometime, ran a restaurant in the resort of Les Gets.

The Foreign Office said it was in contact with the local authorities and was ready to provide assistance to the man's family.

The gunman was understood to have been so shocked that he had to be admitted to hospital, and French officials said they were treating the incident as "aggravated manslaughter".

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Any animal killers here?

#187 Post by Pontius Navigator » Sun Oct 14, 2018 4:10 pm

My neighbour was a 'marksman' and would prowl around his garden with an air rifle. We were on the edge of the village but his 'safe arc' was quite limited. He would shoot at pigeons, often hitting, but not killing them. I had to hunt down wounded and disabled birds in our garden. Once he left one in his garden for dead. When he was out I saw the bird moving. Pleased to say I despatched it with a couple of shots.

It was not as if he had crops that the pigeons would eat.

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 12987
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: Any animal killers here?

#188 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Sun Oct 14, 2018 6:48 pm

My wildlife problems are somewhat more mundane than elephants, specifically chipmunks and squirrels. However, the little b#ggers don't give a damn about loud noises, and as well as chewing wiring and burning your house down, they can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage if they decide to use your vehicle's engine bay as a nut store, as I caught one trying to do about 3 weeks back. Somewhat more displeased than usual, and having had a bumper apple crop, I decided to have at the little blighter. The squirrel was halfway up a tree about twenty yards off, and whilst I didn't manage to hit him, he got several within a couple of inches of his nose, and was squeaking blue-blazes. Back the next day, he got the same treatment, with one impacting on his branch and spattering him with apple sauce. I haven't seen any of them since. I am pleasantly surprised that this non-lethal means seems to have worked.
I get skunks, but they only seem to turn up when the wasps are trying to nest in late summer, and they eat the wasps and leave, so that's cool.
The new development in the last week is coyotes, which have been howling at the Moon recently. They were not here last year, and I haven't seen a fox this year (the two never share space), so I shall have to plan my night visits to the barn more carefully. There have been several close calls recorded across the Island this year, and there was a fatal attack in Nova Scotia a few years back, so I may invest in a shotgun.

User avatar
OFSO
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 18603
Joined: Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:39 pm
Location: Teddington UK and Roses Catalunia
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: Any animal killers here?

#189 Post by OFSO » Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:58 am

Here in Islington we cannot leave windows and doors open dusk-to-dawn because of squirrels (enter the house and vandalise) and foxes (enter the house and defecate and urinate on the bed). No joke, already happened. Some idiot down the road feeds the foxes and we have three living in our road. Yes, central London. Back in Spain the problem is wild boar. In both cases it's illegal to shoot in urban areas, which really would be the only effective solution. (Au contraire, NRs shooting NRs seems to be quite normal, especially up on the Essex Rd).

larsssnowpharter
Capt
Capt
Posts: 830
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2018 3:31 pm
Location: United Kingdom
Gender:

Re: Any animal killers here?

#190 Post by larsssnowpharter » Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:54 am

As a lad, I spent many school holidays on my grandparent's farm in the Irish borders. We often went out to post a few birds or rabbits for dinner. The same went for (poached) trout and salmon. It was, back then, borderline necessity.

I think I have only taken pleasure in killing an animal on two occasions.

The first, when a teenager on the farm, when I shot of fox that was raiding our hens. Most of our hens were free range but we did have a co-op where some birds would go at night. The fox killed every bird. I built a hide in a hedge and waited in it for three hours after dusk for four nights before getting the bastard.

More recently, in the Philippines, we had an infestation of what the locals call 'roof rats' which had made the roof space over our bedroom their playground causing sleepless nights and damaging woodwork and wiring. Local vermin people were bloody useless. Rats got to the roof along a wall from the staff housing. Solution: a .22 handgun and take them out one at a time. I had a quiet 'yes!' as one would fall to the ground. I later found out that the yayya was selling the bodies... apparently a local delicacy!

User avatar
Fox3WheresMyBanana
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 12987
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Great White North
Gender:
Age: 61

Re: Any animal killers here?

#191 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Mon Oct 15, 2018 12:49 pm

My sis lives in North London also. Owing to my using her place before/after flights, I usually get the first or last public transport. I see foxes every time in the wee hours, and they don't give a d@mn about humans.

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13096
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: Any animal killers here?

#192 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Oct 15, 2018 2:37 pm

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/ ... edirect=on

Another American spastic. Bows and arrows again. What is it with these w@nkers.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

User avatar
llondel
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5913
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:17 am
Location: San Jose

Re: Any animal killers here?

#193 Post by llondel » Mon Oct 15, 2018 3:03 pm

One night I was driving home through the middle of Bristol and there was a fox trotting down the middle of the road. I've also sat and watched foxes through the window as they played on the patio.

Now it's skunks, opossums, coyotes, deer, raccoons and mountain lions. Not that I've seen the latter two yet, but various security cameras in the area have spotted the big cats.

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13096
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: Any animal killers here?

#194 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Oct 15, 2018 3:16 pm

We have the lot here. Never seen a lion by the house but we can hear them. Only big cat by the house has been a leopard.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7595
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: Any animal killers here?

#195 Post by G-CPTN » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:45 pm

llondel wrote:
Mon Oct 15, 2018 3:03 pm
there was a fox trotting down the middle of the road.
Are you sure it wasn't the quick-step?

Capetonian

Re: Any animal killers here?

#196 Post by Capetonian » Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:52 pm

We were in a game park this today and seeing some of these magnificent animals, rhino, lions, zebra, gemsbok and so on, it bought home to me how sick people must be to want to maim and destroy them.

Cacophonix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8327
Joined: Tue May 02, 2017 10:14 pm
Location: Wandering

Re: Any animal killers here?

#197 Post by Cacophonix » Mon Oct 15, 2018 9:30 pm

Capetonian wrote:
Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:52 pm
We were in a game park this today and seeing some of these magnificent animals, rhino, lions, zebra, gemsbok and so on, it bought home to me how sick people must be to want to maim and destroy them.
+1

Caco

Capetonian

Re: Any animal killers here?

#198 Post by Capetonian » Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:18 am

IMG-20181015-WA0004.jpg
IMG-20181015-WA0004.jpg (73.04 KiB) Viewed 564 times
How could anyone regard him with anything other than awe, respect, and reverence?

User avatar
Woody
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 10245
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 6:33 pm
Location: Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand
Age: 59

Re: Any animal killers here?

#199 Post by Woody » Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:59 am

Excellent photo Cape, we’re spending a night at this place in a couple of weeks https://knysnaelephantpark.co.za

Apparently you get to stay in the same building as the elephants, MrsWoody reckons that they’ll probably snore less than me =))
When all else fails, read the instructions.

User avatar
Ex-Ascot
Test Pilot
Test Pilot
Posts: 13096
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2015 7:16 am
Location: Botswana but sometimes Greece
Gender:
Age: 68

Re: Any animal killers here?

#200 Post by Ex-Ascot » Tue Oct 16, 2018 9:10 am

How could anyone regard him with anything other than awe, respect, and reverence?
The Chinese.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

Post Reply