Someone shoots endangered rhino claims to be helping it. Poll inside

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:31AM #1

Someone shoots endangered rhino claims to be helping it. Is he deluded or was he really shooting this rhino for the good of the herd? Link here, article below and opinion on the next line.

I spent a lot of time in Africa in one country or another and I can tell you for that these two sentiments "the locals understand you have to kill elephants, rhinos ect and we're doing them a favour" and "the money goes to the local community" are both bullsh1t. The money goes to the government and they pocket it. Especially in Namibia. The second statement is self defeating. Why in the name of feck would local people want over privileged millionaires coming to their country and killing their national treasures. This doesn't mean I'm anti-hunting just anti hunting endangered animals and disguising your joy at killing one as a humanitarian effort.

A US hunter who paid $350,000 (£225,000) to kill a black rhino in Namibia has successfully shot the animal, saying his actions would help protect the critically endangered species.

Corey Knowlton, from Texas, downed the rhino with a high-powered rifle after a three-day hunt through the bush with government officials on hand to ensure he killed the correct animal. Knowlton, 36, won the right to shoot the rhino at an auction – attracting criticism, and even death threats, from conservationists.

He took a CNN camera crew on the hunt to try to show why he believed the killing was justified. “The whole world knows about this hunt and I think it’s extremely important that people know it’s going down the right way, in the most scientific way that it can possibly happen,” Knowlton told CNN.
“People have a problem just with the fact that I like to hunt … I want to see the black rhino as abundant as it can be. I believe in the survival of the species.”
Since 2012, Namibia has sold five licences a year to kill individual rhinos, saying the money is essential to fund conservation projects and anti-poaching protection.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:32AM

I would like to shoot him for the good of our species.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:34AM

Rangers have died protecting these animals from animals like this man. Pretty scummy thing to do.

MathDebater · 22-05-2015 12:37AM

The rhino was an older male unable to reproduce who was chasing off younger males who were. It's not ideal but he needed to be taken out to ensure the survival of the nearly extinct black rhinos.

c_man · 22-05-2015 12:38AM

Imagine being rich, bored and stupid enough to apply for such a thing.

In that situation I hope I'd have enough sense left to blow my own brains out before descending to that level.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:40AM

MathDebater wrote: »

The rhino was an older male unable to reproduce who was chasing off younger males who were. It's not ideal but he needed to be taken out to ensure the survival of the nearly extinct black rhinos.

Older males can reproduce. It's females that can't.

MathDebater · 22-05-2015 12:42AM

silverfeather wrote: »

Older males can reproduce. It's females that can't.

The rhino in question couldn't and was a threat to those that were.

Jimminy Mc Fukhead · 22-05-2015 12:42AM

I think their horns have many medicinal and magical powers.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:45AM

MathDebater wrote: »

The rhino was an older male unable to reproduce who was chasing off younger males who were. It's not ideal but he needed to be taken out to ensure the survival of the nearly extinct black rhinos.

Ah right so before humans arrived on the planet to kill older male rhinos they died out?

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:48AM

MathDebater wrote: »

The rhino in question couldn't and was a threat to those that were.

Sorry that is BS the gob****e bid at an auction.

Knowlton, 36, won the right to shoot the rhino at an auction in Dallas in early 2014 — attracting fierce criticism from many conservationists

It's pure spin to justify it.

He should be given the heretics fork then impaled and finally locked in a brazen bull for our amusement.

pablomakaveli · 22-05-2015 12:48AM

MathDebater wrote: »

The rhino was an older male unable to reproduce who was chasing off younger males who were. It's not ideal but he needed to be taken out to ensure the survival of the nearly extinct black rhinos.

I dont really understand why it couldn't have been just moved somewhere where it wouldn't be able to cause that problem. No need to kill it.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:49AM

MathDebater wrote: »

The rhino in question couldn't and was a threat to those that were.

Could you expand on your answer and tell me how many species have went extinct due to humans and how many due to older males?

Mint Aero · 22-05-2015 12:50AM

If it was for the best then it was for the best
If it wasn't then it wasn't and shouldn't be allowed. I'm not qualified enough on matters of endangered African species to make that call. I'll leave that to the resident AH foreign relations animal protector experts.

catallus · 22-05-2015 12:50AM

Well I watched the video and it was clear that the rhino was coming right at him.

miss tickle · 22-05-2015 12:51AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Someone shoots endangered rhino claims to be helping it. Is he deluded or was he really shooting this rhino for the good of the herd? Link here, article below and opinion on the next line.

I spent a lot of time in Africa in one country or another and I can tell you for that these two sentiments "the locals understand you have to kill elephants, rhinos ect and we're doing them a favour" and "the money goes to the local community" are both bullsh1t. The money goes to the government and they pocket it. Especially in Namibia. The second statement is self defeating. Why in the name of feck would local people want over privileged millionaires coming to their country and killing their national treasures. This doesn't mean I'm anti-hunting just anti hunting endangered animals and disguising your joy at killing one as a humanitarian effort.

Namibia is one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, but it is unevenly distributed. The poverty in this country is dire due to corruption. This is a bull**** form of a very expensive selfie, which he can show the grand kids in a few years time.

MathDebater · 22-05-2015 12:51AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Ah right so before humans arrived on the planet to kill older make rhinos they died out?

What?

The black rhino is 'critically endangered'. This guy couldn't reproduce and was attacking other younger males. He needed to go. Some bumblefcuk from Texas paid a huge fee to do so. Hopefully some of that goes back into helping the rhinos.

Not a NSA agent · 22-05-2015 12:53AM

catallus wrote: »

Well I watched the video and it was clear that the rhino was coming right at him.

A black rhino too, he must work as a cop.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:53AM

MathDebater wrote: »

What?

The black rhino is 'critically endangered'. This guy couldn't reproduce and was attacking other younger males. He needed to go.

Could you link me to the veterinary tests that state as such and the zoologist reports saying he was endangering the species?

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:53AM

MathDebater wrote: »

What?

The black rhino is 'critically endangered'. This guy couldn't reproduce and was attacking other younger males. He needed to go. Some bumblefcuk from Texas paid a huge fee to do so. Hopefully some of that goes back into helping the rhinos.

Plenty of zoos. Plenty of other places. It's BS. And there is huge debate about whether that was actually true or just some BS to excuse it.

osarusan · 22-05-2015 12:54AM

If Namibian conservationists could achieve that kind of funding without resorting to this, I'm sure they would.

It seems like they have no choice but to get their funding this way.

I don't really have anything other than contempt for people who hunt animals purely for sport, but I'd like to see some statistics on just what kind of conservation that funding actually helps to make possible.

MathDebater · 22-05-2015 12:54AM

pablomakaveli wrote: »

I dont really understand why it couldn't have been just moved somewhere where it wouldn't be able to cause that problem. No need to kill it.

Keeping him in a zoo or reservation costs a lot of money. Bumping him off brings in money.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:56AM

osarusan wrote: »

If Namibian conservationists could achieve that kind of funding without resorting to this, I'm sure they would.

It seems like they have no choice but to get their funding this way.

I don't really have anything other than contempt for people who hunt animals purely for sport, but I'd like to see some statistics on just what kind of conservation that funding actually helps to make possible.

He could have donated the money.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:57AM

MathDebater wrote: »

Keeping him in a zoo or reservation costs a lot of money. Bumping him off brings in money.

He should have given it.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 12:58AM

Yep if he wanted to help conservation he would have donated it. You know like a lot of the really rich people who do donate millions.

osarusan · 22-05-2015 12:58AM

silverfeather wrote: »

He could have donated the money.

He could, but I guess he wanted his trophy in exchange for the money. Again I'd say that if Namibian conservationists could get enough people to just donate this kind of money, they wouldn't run this kind of scheme in the first place.

That they have to run this kind of animal sacrifice/conservation effort is probably evidence of the lack of donations coming from elsewhere.

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 12:59AM

I accept no excuses. I am a lovely person ....but when it comes to animal abusers god help me i am one cruel bitch...and rightfully so. What you react to as a cruel bitch is part of what makes you lovely the other 90% of the time.

MathDebater · 22-05-2015 01:01AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Could you link me to the veterinary tests that state as such and the zoologist reports saying he was endangering the species?

The only rhinos selected for the hunts are old ones that no longer breed and that pose a threat to younger rhinos.

http://news.yahoo.com/texas-hunter-shoots-endangered-namibian-rhino-350-000-000807061.html

For the price of five old male rhinos who are a threat to the younger members of the herd, in return, they get $1.75 million to fight against poachers and to preserve the 2,500 remaining rhinos.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 01:01AM

osarusan wrote: »

He could, but I guess he wanted his trophy in exchange for the money. Again I'd say that if Namibian conservationists could get people to donate this kind of money, they wouldn't run this kind of scheme in the first place.

That they have to run this kind of animal sacrifice/conservation effort is probably evidence of the lack of donations coming from elsewhere.

Wait is it Namibia or Namibian conservationists auctioning off the kill? Can you detail how much money one of the world's most corrupt governments gives back into conservation?

silverfeather · 22-05-2015 01:02AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Wait is it Namibia or Namibian conservationists auctioning off the money? Can you detail how much money one of the world's most corrupt governments gives back into conservation?

That's the real crux.

steddyeddy · 22-05-2015 01:02AM

MathDebater wrote: »

http://news.yahoo.com/texas-hunter-shoots-endangered-namibian-rhino-350-000-000807061.html

For the price of five old male rhinos who are a threat to the younger members of the herd, in return, they get $1.75 million to fight against poachers and to preserve the 2,500 remaining rhinos.

The sentence you quoted is a sentence by the organisers of the hunt not a fact.

osarusan · 22-05-2015 01:04AM

steddyeddy wrote: »

Can you detail how much money one of the world's most corrupt governments gives back into conservation?

I have no idea. Do you?

As I already said, I would like to see some statistics on what this money has actually achieved in terms of conservation efforts.

Someone shoots endangered rhino claims to be helping it. Poll inside

Was the man deluded? 44 votes

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