Lion-Hunting U.S. TV Host Has Internet In An Uproar

[onehandle]

Melissa Bachman has made a living out of hunting some of the world's most majestic creatures. But after her latest excursion, one hunt in particular has activists outraged.

Bachman, a big game hunter and television personality from Minnesota, killed an African lion while in South Africa, announcing it in a photo distributed via Twitter.



@MelissaBachman
An incredible day hunting in South Africa! Stalked inside 60-yards on this beautiful male lion...what a hunt!
https://twitter.com/MelissaBachman/statuses/396306051298902017

While hunting lions in South Africa is not illegal (with the proper permits, of course), that did nothing to quell the collective anger of the Internet. A Change.org petition prompted by the photo requests the government of South Africa "deny future entry" to Bachman, whom it accuses of being "an absolute contradiction to the culture of conservation." As of this writing, the petition had more than 150,000 signatures.

ABC News reports Bachman's lion hunt was facilitated by the Maroi Conservancy, who defended the practice in a Facebook post Saturday, noting its motto is "conservation through sustainable hunting."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/lion-hunt-melissa-bachman-south-africa-photo_n_4297780.html

Do guns make people dumber and more bloodthirsty or do they start that way?

[el_bryanto]

1. What is the case for sustainable hunting?

You hear that in regards to hunting in the northern US, and it seems mildly convincing to me (I don't own a gun and am not at all interested in hunting) - is there a case here?

Bryant

[DisgustipatedinCA]

3. ~23,000 lions on the planet, down from 200,000 100 years ago. nt

[el_bryanto]

4. Well that's troubling - but how many lions are there compared to 15 years ago?

And are Lions being wiped out because of over-zealous hunting or because their natural hunting grounds are being taken away from them by development?

Bryant

[DisgustipatedinCA]

5. I don't know the answers to your questions

I'd suspect both hunting and development are responsible. But there's no call for this person to travel from the US to kill an endangered animal. I wish the transaction had gone the other way.

[hatrack]

6. At this point, what difference does it make?

With population in free-fall, why add additional pressure through hunting?

[el_bryanto]

8. Well one answer would be that over all there is a bad situation for Lions

In a specific area there might be too many lions; lions are top end predators and need a certain amount of land and food to eat, and if there are too many in a small area than it's not sustainable.

Or that would be the argument I suspect.

Bryant

[el_bryanto]

9. Actually this is a good article on it

By a specialist in big cats. Basically he argues that hunting and culling can have a role, but that the formulas currently used are not very well set up and kind of all over the map.

Bryant

[Dorian Gray]

11. if those numbers are accurate

I would say that this hunt was a travesty and giving permits out for hunting lions is completely unethical and immoral.

What a beautiful creature he was.

[oldhippie]

14. Ethics and morals will differ ......

... among groups and cultures.

I am a gun guy. But I don't hunt. I don't like killing animals. But I do understand why some do hunt, and kill animals. It's another one of those things where if you have to ask why, you probably wouldn't like or understand the answer.

[RedCappedBandit]

7. Hunting ..

Hunting creatures with a healthy population for food is one thing.

Hunting a majestic and endangered creature so you can take a picture of yourself with the corpse is another entirely, IMO.

People who think this is sport are sick.

[tosh]

12. +1000.

It is as simple as that.

[JaneyVee]

2. If you would kill that you would kill a human. She's a psychopath.

[CanonRay]

10. Another Minnesota Bachman?

Really? They've got to be related...it's the asshole gene.

[tosh]

13. About as despicable as this one....

http://tiftcounty.walb.com/news/news/102383-south-georgia-hunter-scores-rare-completely-white-deer



The comments at the link have been scrubbed. There was a full pile-on there last week with only 1 or 2 defenders of this jerk.

[dionysus]

15. sustainable hunting? i was unaware there is such a lion overpopulation problem...