There is a reason hunting is a dangerous activity and is now deemed illegal. The elephants in Namibia are intelligent creatures and demand respect. Hunting them is not a sport and cannot be condoned as a form of entertainment. If we fail to control our fellow humans, then a recently viral clip has shown that the elephants are more than capable of seeking rightful retribution. In the resurfaced clip, which was originally shared in 2018, two hunters are seen running away from a herd of charging elephants in Namibia. Minutes before, the hunters had repeatedly shot and killed one member of the group.
The Elephants In Namibia Show What They Are Capable Of
The clip shows a man in a khaki uniform aiming his rifle at a passing herd of elephants. The guide advises the man to “hit it between the eyes.” At the prompt, the man opens fire and keeps shooting at the herd till a bull is hit. He then fires three more shots at the bull as it collapses to the ground. Immediately afterward, the bigger elephants of the herd break off and charge towards the hunter. As the cameraman runs away along with the hunting entourage, the elephants in Namibia can be seen furiously trumpeting and stomping the ground.
In 2018, Corné Kruge, the owner of Omujeve Hunting Safaris and a big-game hunter based in Namibia, spoke to News24 about the clip. He had explained that the clip was at least 2-3 years old at that point, so 8-9 years old from now. Kruge further said: “There is a small quote of elephants in the area and we only hunt two elephants a year.” He also claimed that the sport helped out the local community financially. Kruger said: “We employ 12 people from the community, some of them as game guards. The funds go to conservation and find anti-poaching units.”
This clip originated in Namibia’s Nakabolelwa Conservancy. In Namibia, hunting to collect trophies is illegal and punishable by law. However, hunters can still hunt big game, like the elephants in Namibia if they manage to get a license. Will Travers, the co-founder and president of Born Free, heavily criticized the violence being shown in the clip as “sport.” He denounced the claim that it helps wildlife conservation in any manner.
An Inhumane Act That Tempts Fate
Travers also said that most people who are caring are increasingly rejecting the act of killing wild animals in the name of ‘fun.’ Travers pointed out that it is carried out by a group of a small and wealthy elite. He explains: “It deprives the world of some of its most iconic animals by a tiny number of people who have lost their moral compass.” He fails to see any significant sense of fulfillment in such an activity. Furthermore, he is saddened by the fact that mostly wealthy Westerners choose to take part in such killings.
Travers vehemently wrote down trophy hunting as an outdated relic carried over from the colonial era. He said that it has no place in modern society. In conclusion, he says: “Trophy hunting is an outdated relic of a colonial-era obsession for killing wildlife for sport. It has no place in modern society, and certainly no role to play in any compassionate conservation program. Wildlife managers need to recognize that every animal counts, and to find ways of funding conservation that do not involve more killing. If trophy hunters truly wished to support conservation they would put down the gun and join those of us working to find real, responsible, sustainable, compassionate solutions to our conservation challenges.”
Of course, other trophy hunters have met much a worse fate than those in the clip. In 2017, notable big-game hunter Thenius Botha met his demise during a hunting party. He had come into contact with a herd of breeding elephants. He was charged at by a female elephant that had picked him up. When his colleagues shot and killed her, she collapsed on top of Botha, instantly crushing him. The WWF considers African elephants as critically endangered with an estimated 415,000 surviving worldwide.
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Source List:
- “Heartbreaking Moment Herd Of Elephants Pays Last Respects To Dead Leader.” Lad Bible. Rachael Grealish. September 18, 2018.
- “Elephants get revenge after hunter shoots one of their herd dead.” NY Post. Brooke Kato. September 12, 2023.