Elephants and more at Duma Tau Camp, Botswana

Eye of an elephant.

I don’t understand WHY intelligent people feel the necessity to hunt and kill wild animals.   I’m referring to animals that aren’t being raised for food.  Where is the challenge?  Where is the sport? Why have some poor dead animal’s head collecting dust on a wall?  Trophy hunting should be banned in all countries, as they have in Botswana and Kenya. Poaching must be stopped, and people educated (if that’s even possible).  I understand that poaching and trophy hunting are not in the same league.  Yet, I still believe that no one has the right to kill an innocent defenseless animal either for sport or for the illegal sale of body parts.  In our lifetime, if not our children’s lifetime, the elephants. lions and rhinoceros may be wiped out. Today there are only 5055 black rhino’s, and 20,405 white rhino’s left on this earth!  There are only 25-30,000 lions left.  This is a tragedy that must be stopped.  There are legitimate reasons to kill wild animals, but leave that to the professionals. It should not be a sport!  As Tom pointed out:  it takes far more skill to shoot a great photograph of an animal than to kill it with a high power rifle.  Why not exchange those expensive rifles for some high-end camera gear.  Then you’ll find out how skilled you really are.  Eco-tourism is an important way to encourage impoverished people and their governments to save these animals.  Encouraging tourists to spend their money on viewing animals while taking home memories and pictures provides an income for the local populations and makes sure the animals survive.  Eco-tourism provides far more sustainable income for the local people than hunters ever have.

Tom and I are in awe of the elephants we saw during our travels.  Their speed, grace, agility, curiosity, intelligence...we never tired of watching them.  One day our guide decided to wait when we saw a parade of elephants way off in the distance.  We thought we would be there a long time.  Instead it was minutes.  These elephants move through the water with astonishing speed and ease.  By the time they were in the shallows and coming out of the water they were charging.

A parade of elephants off in the distance.

The energy as they raced out of the water was palpable. 

They charged through the water.

They came out of the water right by where we were waiting.

You can't see me.  I'm hiding.

Who does their pedicures?

This bird has attitude.

This Zebra had an attitude going.

When elephants are stressed their adrenal gland runs.  This guy was having a bad day and let us know. 

It was exhilarating having an elephant visit our camp.

Bones of an elephant that had died of old age.  The bone Tom held so easily I couldn't even lift off the ground.

Coming back from an afternoon safari this guy was blocking the entrance to our camp.  We didn't argue with him.

How could you kill an animal like this???  WHY would you kill an animal such as this one?

I cannot discuss with you the right or wrong of hunting whether for pleasure or illegal poaching.  This blog is my forum for stating my beliefs. You are certainly welcome to express your ideas through your own blog or other social media of your choice.