Another American Poacher Has Killed A Beloved Lion In Zimbabwe And It's Time We Start Selling Licenses To Hunt Poachers

The Sun - A foreign trophy hunter has sparked outrage after shooting a beloved lion dead with a bow and arrow - just yards from where Cecil was killed in 2015.

The hunter - thought to be American - left the 12-year-old lion named Mopane suffering in agony for 24 hours after luring him away from his prides in Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park.

Mopane reportedly survived for 24 hours after being shot before dying, and it's unclear whether another arrow or bullet was used.

Back in December, a post by Big Game Safaris revealed plans for the trip to slaughter the lion, before being removed, reports the Mirror.

"The mighty Mopani. He is one of the oldest and definitely the most aggressive in our hunting block," it read.

"We border Hwange game reserve and Mopani travels in between the two areas. Do you want the chance to take a big free-roaming lion?

"Book a hunt with us." While trophy hunting is legal in Zimbabwe, it is banned in national parks.

Poaching is hunting without legal permission from whoever owns that land. Trophy hunting requires a license or getting a permit that contains regulations that hunters must abide by for certain animals. ... The government gives hunters permits to kill a specific animal, and they can't stray away from the animal. 

Both are extremely fucked in my opinion.

My grandfather taught me how to shoot when I was 8 years old using a bb gun on soda cans. I've loved the range, and shooting skeet as long as I can remember. I'm far from anti-gun, or anti-hunting. Some of my best friends hunt deer, elk, duck, pheasant, etc. But they aren't scumbags about it, they respect the animals, use all the meat, and again, aren't scumbags about it. Like most people I think, I admire the hell out of marksmanship and the sport. But one thing I have never been able to bring myself to do or understand is killing a beautiful animal. Especially an endangered one. If that makes me a giant pussy then so be it. Just makes zero sense why anybody would want to destroy something so beautiful and in such cruel fashion.

Luring this animal out of its protected habitat across the National Park border where they wouldn't get in trouble for shooting it is the definition of sadistic. Argue semantics and blurred lines all you want, it's fucked up. 

On top of it all, this clown couldn't even kill the poor animal cleanly and it died a slow and agonizing death over a 24 hour period. 

This comes on the heels of the Cecil the Lion tragedy in 2015, which played out in almost identical fashion. 

In case you're unfamiliar - 

On the night of 1 July 2015, Cecil was wounded with an arrow by Walter Palmer, an American recreational big-game hunter, then tracked and killed with a bow and arrow the following morning, between 10 and 12 hours later. Cecil was 13 years old when killed. Palmer had a permit and was not charged with any crime; authorities in Zimbabwe have said he is still free to visit the country as a tourist, but not as a hunter. Two Zimbabweans, the owner of the farm where the hunt took place, and the hunting guide, were briefly arrested but the charges were eventually dismissed by courts.

The killing resulted in international media attention, caused outrage among animal conservationists, criticism by politicians and celebrities and a strong negative response against Palmer. Five months after the killing of Cecil, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added lions in India and West and Central Africa to the endangered species list, making it more difficult for United States citizens to legally kill lions on safaris.

I think it's high time we start offering licenses to hunt poachers. 

If you've ever seen the movie Predators you already have an idea. 

Round up the worst of the worst, and throw them into one of these preserves. Give them some knives, or a sword or something so they have a fighting chance, just nothing advanced weapon-wise. Black powder firearms only (I'm not a complete barbarian). 

Sell licenses to the millions of worldwide hunters who also hate these people for giving them a bad name and let the chips fall where they may.  

My original idea was to just sell contracts on them like in John Wick 2 and allow the hunter to take them out anywhere they want. Maybe say their homes around their family are off-limits (again, I'm not a barbarian) but anywhere outside there is fair play. Again, so they're in the shoes of the animal, but I don't think that would play well PR wise.

I have just the guy to nominate as contestant #1. 

Habib Talukder, aka Tiger Habib.

NY Post (6/1/21) - A notorious poacher believed to have killed at least 70 endangered Bengal tigers was nabbed in Bangladesh after a two decade-long manhunt, according to reports.

Habib Talukder — known as Tiger Habib — was finally snared by police in the South Asian country on Saturday thanks to a tip, the Bangladesh daily Dhaka Tribune reported.

Talukder, 50, was caught in a village near the vast Sundarbans forest on the border between India and Bangladesh.

The mangrove forest is home to one of the world’s largest populations of Bengal tigers and was Talukder’s hunting ground.

Would say throw this guy to tigers and let them have their way with him but I think that's too easy of a way out. Sell a license to the highest bidder and wish this guy the best. 

p.s. - also fuck anybody that buys endangered animal tusks, pelts, teeth, and all the bonkers Chinese concoctions on the black market. 

+++++ UPDATE +++++

Since nobody trusts The Sun as a source, and that's being used to discredit this story. Here's an excerpt from the NY Post that's even more of an indictment.

https://nypost.com/2021/08/16/another-cecil-lion-allegedly-killed-by-american-hunter/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons

NY Post - As with Cecil, the coalition of big-game hunters had used bait to lure the male lion to Antoinette, a hunting concession bordering the unfenced Hwange National Park. This was reportedly the same spot where Cecil was allegedly gunned down six years ago.

It was unclear whether the lion was eventually killed with another arrow or a bullet; however, he reportedly survived for a full day following the shot before finally succumbing to his injuries. Mopane’s actual time of death is unknown.