Cecil RIP

[Dave2002]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11772528/Cecil-the-lions-head-handed-over-to-police.html

[french frank]

A story that I'd managed to avoid reading as the headlines made the essence all too clear.

[P. G. Tipps]

From the evidence of videos, Cecil, that handsome African lion, looked like like he was already getting on a bit, but that does not excuse that bounder of an American dentist. No wonder the liberal Western press and politicians are shocked and outraged.

Meanwhile scores of Christians and other victimised minorities are being massacred on the same African continent as I type ...

[Stillhomewardbound]

Awful thing was that this Sheriff of Nottingham character only wounded the animal with his wretched bow and arrow. It wasn't until the next day that they returned to finish him off.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zimbabwe/11773653/Cecil-hunter-Walter-Palmer-wanted-to-kill-an-elephant-after-killing-the-lion.html

[Pabmusic]

...No wonder the liberal Western press and politicians are shocked and outraged.

Meanwhile scores of Christians and other victimised minorities are being massacred on the same African continent as I type ...

Well!

So those outraged by this man's behaviour are liberal Westerners who ignore widespread religious and ethnic persecutions? Is that what you mean?

All you've done is to commit the age-old fallacy of 'short-term, long-term' or false dichotomy. You assume that there's only two positions: to be angry about Cecil's death, or to be angry about African persecutions (there's also an implication that Cecil's death is not really important compared to the other).

It's perfectly possible to be angry about both. But the greater problem is so much more difficult that sound-bites are less apt.

[P. G. Tipps]

Well!

So those outraged by this man's behaviour are liberal Westerners who ignore widespread religious and ethnic persecutions? Is that what you mean?

All you've done is to commit the age-old fallacy of 'short-term, long-term' or false dichotomy. You assume that there's only two positions: to be angry about Cecil's death, or to be angry about African persecutions (there's also an implication that Cecil's death is not really important compared to the other).

It's perfectly possible to be angry about both. But the greater problem is so much more difficult that sound-bites are less apt.

I certainly don't consider poor old Cecil's cruel demise to be quite in the same league of horror as the massacre of men, women and children by savage mobs whether the victims be Christians, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Atheists or whatever. I feel pretty confident that many 'liberal Westerners' would wholeheartedly agree with me on that. Of course, as ever, inevitably there will be some who don't.

However I wasn't referring to 'liberal Westerners' but to the liberal Western press and politicians which are quite different animals altogether, if you excuse the rather awkward pun.

The hysterical media response in the US and elsewhere over the American dentist's selfish and compassionless behaviour contrasts starkly with the near-deafening silence about even worse things happening in Africa today.

That was (and is) my one and only point, Pab ...

[Richard Tarleton]

P.G.Tipps, I'm sorry to say your post is wrong at just about every level. The lion was still head of his pride, meaning he was in the fullness of his powers. How you can tell "from the evidence of the videos" that he was "getting on a bit", I'd love to know. You can tell from the videos that he was habituated to being photographed by safari groups.

He'd apparently been knocked off the top spot in the pride once but had fought his way back, with his friend Jericho. The dentist has killed not only him but by extension all his cubs, who will be killed by whichever new top male takes over the pride. This may have happened naturally, eventually, in the fullness of time, but not to these cubs, not now. Also, Cecil's friend Jericho will be killed or driven out. It's one thing for this to happen naturally as part of lion breeding biology, quite another for it to be the result of an act of depravity like this. I use the word depravity because the animal was lured out of the conservation area, and injured - not killed - with a crossbow before they tracked him and finished him off with a rifle 14, or was it 40 hours later. And then skinned him and cut his head off. For gratification.

And as for the "liberal Western press" - I suggest you listen instead to the the head of the team of Oxford zoologists who have been studying Cecil and his pride since 2008, or to Simon King, renowned wildlife film maker and lion expert who was on the Today programme the day before yesterday talking about the utter folly and wrongness of the trophy hunting of apex predators whose numbers have crashed catastrophically in recent years.

And the other things you mention are completely irrelevant.

[Sir Velo]

One good thing (albeit the only one) that has come out of all of this is that it has drawn the world's attention to the plight of the lion in Zimbabwe. Clearly, our toothsome American friend is far from the only trophy hunter to come to the country to exploit its lax hunting laws. Zimbabwe needs to take a long look at itself and decide whether having its alpha male lions killed off for the sake of a few bucks is worth it in the long term.

[P. G. Tipps]

P.G.Tipps, I'm sorry to say your post is wrong at just about every level.

... and, at just about every level, all in your very humble opinion, of course, Richard Tarleton ...

The lion was still head of his pride, meaning he was in the fullness of his powers. How you can tell "from the evidence of the videos" that he was "getting on a bit", I'd love to know. You can tell from the videos that he was habituated to being photographed by safari groups. .

Sadly older age comes to us all, even poor Cecil, and my 'eagle-eye' can generally spot a 'mature' human or animal from a mere youth or stripling!.

And the other things you mention are completely irrelevant.

Quite obviously to some and no doubt to Cecil when alive. However, the 'other things' were crucial and essential to the single point I was making!

However, I'll now gladly withdraw the term 'liberal media' as the hysteria now seems to be shared by right-wing rags like the Daily Mail (surprise, surprise!) One animal-conservationist writer this morning says the dentist should be compared to a paedophile and that he is 'glad that he (the dentist) will have a miserable life'

I find this hyperbolic 'lynch-mob mentality' of some deeply unpleasant and even dangerous. The stupid, selfish dentist deserves to be punished and his actions get no sympathy and support from me. However, the suggestion that he should lose his livelihood and he and his family should have to flee for their lives is quite another matter.

Nevertheless, even I am now straying from the original point!

[Sir Velo]

Indeed, it does seem a little harsh on old Walt Palmer that he should be the only one held to account for actions which clearly many others have been participating in. From other reputable news sources, we have learned today that the Aussie ex-cricketer Glenn McGrath and King Juan Carlos II have both been on hunts to kill lions in Africa; the only difference seemingly being that those were licensed at some level.

As I said, Cecil's regrettable demise will at least hopefully bring this most unpleasant of vices out into the open, and lead to concerted international pressure on certain African nations to take better care of their precious wildlife.

[Richard Tarleton]

As I said, Cecil's regrettable demise will at least hopefully bring this most unpleasant of vices out into the open, and lead to concerted international pressure on certain African nations to take better care of their precious wildlife.

I hear on the lunchtime news that Zimbabwe is seeking Palmer's extradition.

[BBMmk2]

Isn't he in hiding?

[Richard Tarleton]

Isn't he in hiding?

Gone to ground, according to Sky News - an appropriate metaphor for a hunted animal.

[P. G. Tipps]

I hear on the lunchtime news that Zimbabwe is seeking Palmer's extradition.

That alone has a quite absurd irony to it but I've now just about given up on trying to point out the bleedin' obvious ...

[Richard Tarleton]

That alone has a quite absurd irony to it but I've now just about given up on trying to point out the bleedin' obvious ...

My adjective would be "delicious", but there we are .