Trophy Hunting is Just Not Good

In 2015 a lion named Cecil died. He was killed and and cut up by a hunter who wanted his head on his wall as a trophy. But this wasn't a wild lion. He was a protected, collared lion in Hwange National Park in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. With a rare black mane, he was easily recognizable, and was a symbol of pride for the country. Naturally, when the world found out how he died, we reacted with outrage.

All sorts of things were set up after that to help lion conservation. One of my favorite campaigns was through the 1928 jewelry company. They set up a line of jewelry in Cecil's honor that when purchased, part of the money went to lion conservation groups in Africa (see left photo).

Now tragically Cecil's Son, Xanda, another protected & collared lion at this same national park in Zimbabwe, has also been killed by a trophy hunter. Apparently the steps taken back in 2015 were not enough. You can read the full article by The Washington Post HERE

After my anger at this news died down, the question running through my head was simply, "Why?" I think part of the problem is that to many, the nostalgia of the culture of trophy hunting makes it appealing. We all fantasize about the past, but things change for a reason. (Plus I don't think God ever intended that any of his creations be slaughtered and displayed for sport.) As the above article mentions, some people just don't realize that now, most hunted species throughout the world are endangered, and that the more species die off, the more humans are at risk. They don't get that by killing the king of the pride, their actions will likely kill all of its offsprings. They don't understand that their one exotic adventure will fuel a black market of those just looking to make a buck, taking advantage of wildlife and humans alike. Or they simply don't care.

We need to somehow get rid of the nostalgia of this culture. Now I have no idea how that's going to happen, but I think if we all take a moment to tell someone why trophy hunting is just not good - if we send an email, make a phone call, show our children pictures - we'll be on the right track. Oh and by the way, you can still buy 1928's full line of "Justice for Cecil" jewelry :D Maybe now more people will do so in memory of his son.