Cecil the Lion and The Facebook Outrage Machine
I recently heard that 40% of people only get their news from Facebook feeds. (I'm not quickly finding the cite/site for this, but here's Pew Research from 2013 saying a similar thing: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/16/12-trends-shaping-digital-news/)
One of the things that bothers me about this is the lack of journalistic integrity. No one stops and says "is it true", much less "is it kind" or "does it need to be said". It's a combination of mob mentality and gossip fueled by righteous indignation to sell ads. It squicks me out how quickly everyone pounces on the bastards who stumble into the spotlight. Whether it's a cop in a bad shooting or a store that won't sell menorrahs or Planned Parenthood profiting from fetal organs, the common denominator is that we all get to band together and shout "THOSE BASTARDS!" at the same time while being fed only the narrative that leaves us most righteously indignant. Ick ick ick. I don't like hanging around in an uninformed mob.
So, if it's that way for you, here's a first-person account from a friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous at the moment because, as s/he says, " I'd rather keep my name off it for now as I've seen how completely hostile everyone is being about this issue and I'd rather not be at the receiving end of death threats for having an opinion :)"
It's interesting enough to repost, though.
Speaking of internet rage-fests, there's a big one broiling right now over the slaying of a lion apparently named Cecil outside of Hwange in Zimbabwe. I've been to Hwange over a dozen times, my husband probably 50. Neither of us have heard of a lion named "Cecil." Perhaps this is just because the PG (professional guides) we use don't believe in anthropomorphizing animals by giving them names. I remember quite a few big males, including one with a dark mane that was in a coalition with another male, maybe it was him but my guide, who has been a PG/PH in Zim for 30+ years and one of the best in the business, didn't make a big deal of this particular animal. He knows individual animals, that's for sure, but he never, ever made any cat into the 'star of the park.' There is no doubt this was a gorgeous lion, but I keep reading claims that he was "Hwange's main attraction" and "responsible for $9,000 a day in tourist revenue." Huh? How could one animal be the reason come to a 5,657 sq mile park? $9,000 a day sounds like maybe, maybe the total gate plus concessions and accommodation fees collected for the entire park - entry is $20 pp pd, there's simply no way there's an average of 450 people in that park per day, 100-200 is more like it. It all just reads so sensationalized to me.
Regardless, this gorgeous animal was killed by a trophy hunter. Right now the details aren't clear but it sure sounds like there were questionable techniques used and questionable ethics involved. It's tragic and horrible and I hope the hunter and his guides are held accountable. What I don't want to happen is for this to be a further push to outright ban trophy hunting in Africa. That would be an even greater tragedy that would result in the loss of habitat for millions of animals and loss of income for thousands of people. It's a complex issue, but if anyone has the time, check out this video:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/67445492?api=1&player_id=player_1
This is the area my husband used to manage, the researchers and managers featured are all people my husband knows well. Buybe is the model of good conservation in Zim (and home to 20% of its lions), a fact mentioned repeatedly in the excellent anti poaching book, Killing for Profit It would be heartbreaking for this place to disappear because of well-meaning but not well informed people put their emotions ahead of rational policy.
One of the things that bothers me about this is the lack of journalistic integrity. No one stops and says "is it true", much less "is it kind" or "does it need to be said". It's a combination of mob mentality and gossip fueled by righteous indignation to sell ads. It squicks me out how quickly everyone pounces on the bastards who stumble into the spotlight. Whether it's a cop in a bad shooting or a store that won't sell menorrahs or Planned Parenthood profiting from fetal organs, the common denominator is that we all get to band together and shout "THOSE BASTARDS!" at the same time while being fed only the narrative that leaves us most righteously indignant. Ick ick ick. I don't like hanging around in an uninformed mob.
So, if it's that way for you, here's a first-person account from a friend of mine who wishes to remain anonymous at the moment because, as s/he says, " I'd rather keep my name off it for now as I've seen how completely hostile everyone is being about this issue and I'd rather not be at the receiving end of death threats for having an opinion :)"
It's interesting enough to repost, though.
Speaking of internet rage-fests, there's a big one broiling right now over the slaying of a lion apparently named Cecil outside of Hwange in Zimbabwe. I've been to Hwange over a dozen times, my husband probably 50. Neither of us have heard of a lion named "Cecil." Perhaps this is just because the PG (professional guides) we use don't believe in anthropomorphizing animals by giving them names. I remember quite a few big males, including one with a dark mane that was in a coalition with another male, maybe it was him but my guide, who has been a PG/PH in Zim for 30+ years and one of the best in the business, didn't make a big deal of this particular animal. He knows individual animals, that's for sure, but he never, ever made any cat into the 'star of the park.' There is no doubt this was a gorgeous lion, but I keep reading claims that he was "Hwange's main attraction" and "responsible for $9,000 a day in tourist revenue." Huh? How could one animal be the reason come to a 5,657 sq mile park? $9,000 a day sounds like maybe, maybe the total gate plus concessions and accommodation fees collected for the entire park - entry is $20 pp pd, there's simply no way there's an average of 450 people in that park per day, 100-200 is more like it. It all just reads so sensationalized to me.
Regardless, this gorgeous animal was killed by a trophy hunter. Right now the details aren't clear but it sure sounds like there were questionable techniques used and questionable ethics involved. It's tragic and horrible and I hope the hunter and his guides are held accountable. What I don't want to happen is for this to be a further push to outright ban trophy hunting in Africa. That would be an even greater tragedy that would result in the loss of habitat for millions of animals and loss of income for thousands of people. It's a complex issue, but if anyone has the time, check out this video:
https://player.vimeo.com/video/67445492?api=1&player_id=player_1
This is the area my husband used to manage, the researchers and managers featured are all people my husband knows well. Buybe is the model of good conservation in Zim (and home to 20% of its lions), a fact mentioned repeatedly in the excellent anti poaching book, Killing for Profit It would be heartbreaking for this place to disappear because of well-meaning but not well informed people put their emotions ahead of rational policy.