Hunter says even death threats won’t stop her from killing animals – including elephants

https://texasnewstoday.com/hunter-says-even-death-threats-wont-stop-her-from-killing-animals-including-elephants/310110/

isabellakhademhosseini2 days ago

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A female hunter who has killed dozens of animals including a 300lb bear has hit back at critics who bombard her with death threats, insisting they will not stop her from pursuing her passion – while sharing her dream of one day hunting more exotic animals like red stags and even elephants. 

Sales manager Brooke McGee, 26, from Texas, fell in love with hunting when she was just three years old and she shot her first animal at the age of six. Her father, Craig, 54, had been hunting since he was a child and wanted to pass the tradition down to Brooke and her siblings. 

At six years old, she hunted her first animal; a whitetail doe. She recalls the experience being exciting and after the animal was hit by the lethal shot, Brooke helped to process the deer for meat so that she could learn how to provide for herself and her family. https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-2256351113677560&output=html&h=280&slotname=9555247276&adk=742399925&adf=1224801243&pi=t.ma~as.9555247276&w=728&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1623617019&rafmt=1&tp=site_kit&psa=1&format=728×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftexasnewstoday.com%2Fhunter-says-even-death-threats-wont-stop-her-from-killing-animals-including-elephants%2F310110%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMCIsIng4NiIsIiIsIjkxLjAuNDQ3Mi4xMDEiLFtdXQ..&dt=1623617016997&bpp=5&bdt=1435&idt=2085&shv=r20210607&cbv=%2Fr20190131&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D9aed6c579b527c5f-2231db87e8c700f7%3AT%3D1623615414%3ART%3D1623615414%3AS%3DALNI_MY1wI77KaLFkzflVCxys45hOsvJ7w&prev_fmts=0x0%2C718x280%2C728x280&nras=1&correlator=2241024755350&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=719301489.1623615415&ga_sid=1623617018&ga_hid=641933580&ga_fc=0&u_tz=-420&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=640&u_w=1139&u_ah=607&u_aw=1139&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=15&ady=2184&biw=1123&bih=537&scr_x=0&scr_y=300&eid=31060972%2C31061406&oid=3&pvsid=2551436578604542&pem=923&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1139%2C0%2C1139%2C607%2C1139%2C537&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CoEebr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&cms=2&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=hDFgwvTVbZ&p=https%3A//texasnewstoday.com&dtd=2103

For Brooke, a typical day during deer hunting season – which takes place in October – involves waking up at 5AM, dressing in camouflage from head to toe and heading out to the fields. She will usually trek there before daylight and place stands on trees so that she can stalk her hunt and make the perfect shot. 

Passion: Female hunter Brooke McGee first fell in love with hunting when she was just three years old, and she has killed dozens of animals since shooting her first at age six 

Defiant: The 26-year-old Texan regularly shares photos of her kills on social media – including this 300lb black bear she shot at age 16 – where she faces bitter backlash from critics https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-2256351113677560&output=html&h=280&slotname=9555247276&adk=2670693723&adf=2847413577&pi=t.ma~as.9555247276&w=728&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1623617042&rafmt=1&tp=site_kit&psa=1&format=728×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftexasnewstoday.com%2Fhunter-says-even-death-threats-wont-stop-her-from-killing-animals-including-elephants%2F310110%2F&flash=0&fwr=0&fwrattr=true&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&adsid=ChAI8NmWhgYQ1orY0ae-pPxQEj0Ae7fttb6wFkVD2Hw8cm-hjgQzvkhMP0OLXuKbkXohZeJUowRIa_tN_aFhhcxnAThiQB1L4o9gRykOFN0J&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTAuMCIsIng4NiIsIiIsIjkxLjAuNDQ3Mi4xMDEiLFtdXQ..&dt=1623617017002&bpp=5&bdt=1440&idt=2318&shv=r20210607&cbv=%2Fr20190131&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D9aed6c579b527c5f-2231db87e8c700f7%3AT%3D1623615414%3ART%3D1623615414%3AS%3DALNI_MY1wI77KaLFkzflVCxys45hOsvJ7w&prev_fmts=0x0%2C718x280%2C728x280%2C728x280%2C319x250%2C1123x537%2C319x250&nras=2&correlator=2241024755350&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=719301489.1623615415&ga_sid=1623617018&ga_hid=641933580&ga_fc=0&u_tz=-420&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=640&u_w=1139&u_ah=607&u_aw=1139&u_cd=24&u_nplug=3&u_nmime=4&adx=15&ady=3345&biw=1123&bih=537&scr_x=0&scr_y=1293&eid=31060972%2C31061406&oid=3&psts=AGkb-H_KhSRzneApR_oqgoVu1qGlP-3EqFGLek0oE1iEunkGNYfqSoEXWD6kse4VZ-O2dMO1b6SjxJTCmOK7%2CAGkb-H-wR-5pZYRZxmEVqyXg2n_AF8MDp6CPNReMTf3o-0KLYNlc1aoz2AEAPDiaZKJQtHcRxfuzcOM4uQ%2CAGkb-H9Jq-B2PXGtRTyqvilb2dyphKWo4N4sknTJRfyHiJkXt_d6urGXOfVTTOmR__A48Yv5tNveiBSabaD4%2CAGkb-H-O-2AfHctdgMY0db8pSoHMScVWBvyjS89qycWaFvd0-SpbjiyeDWwtX-FwsY3S772urvnLkH4_RAgDTQ&pvsid=2551436578604542&pem=923&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1139%2C0%2C1139%2C607%2C1139%2C537&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CoEebr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=128&bc=31&jar=2021-06-13-20&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=4&fsb=1&xpc=eIXUxbUDI4&p=https%3A//texasnewstoday.com&dtd=25496

Fighting back: Brooke insists that many of her critics need to ‘educate themselves’ about the blood sport

Although there is a lot of trial and error involved within hunting, there is an intense adrenaline rush when she successfully makes a kill. Despite this, she also feels sad after taking a life, as she has learned to respect these animals – but believes that as living and dying is a natural occurrence, there has to be a balance between the two. 

After the hunt, Brooke proceeds to tag the deer so that game wardens know it was a legally harvested animal. She will then bring the animal back to her barn where she will clean the animal fully before processing the meat and turning the kill into steaks, jerky and sausages. 

Look forward: The hunter says she will not allow criticism to stop her from pursuing her passion, revealing that she now wants to travel around the globe to hunt more exotic animals – including elephants 

Since starting her hunting journey she has hunted rabbits, whitetail deer and her largest kill to date, a 300-pound black bear when she was just 16-years-old. 

She now hopes to travel the world and hunt big game animals such as brown bears, red stags and even elephants. 

Despite receiving mostly positive feedback about her hunting journey, where she has received comments such as, ‘You are seriously my hero – this is awesome’ and ‘Impressive. You’re definitely the real thing’ – she has received many hurtful comments such as, ‘I hope you die after taking away an innocent life’ as well as multiple death threats and expletive names. 

‘I fell in love with hunting when I was just three-years-old, as my dad used to take me out to the field and teach me all about gun safety,’ Brooke said. ‘My dad began going with his grandad when he was a young boy and he wanted to pass the tradition down to me and my sisters – so decided to take me out as soon as I showed an interest. 

‘He would wake me up at the crack of dawn, carry me out on his shoulders and then we would spend hours together hunting everything from rabbits to whitetail deer. 

Early start: Brooke first found a passion for hunting as a young girl when her father, Craig, began passing down the tradition to his children 

Onward and upward: Brooke’s first kill was a whitetail doe, which she shot at age six, before learning how to process the body for meat to feed her family 

Bonding: Because Brooke’s entire family hunts, she says she receives nothing but support from her relatives and friends 

‘At the time, I was just a spectator as I was too young – but it was a bonding experience for us and I loved every minute. As I was raised in a family who comes from a background in the outdoors, everyone has been so supportive of my passion for hunting. 

‘I was six years old when I got my first harvest, which was a whitetail doe. It was an extremely exciting event for me and as I had spent years watching my dad and practicing on targets, I was sure to make my first shot, a lethal shot. 

‘Afterward, I had to help dress the deer so we could process the meat and I learned from a very young age how to provide for myself and my family. 

‘A typical day hunting usually involves waking up at five in the morning and dressing in camo from head to toe. In October, this is when the deer season in my county starts so this is when I typically go hunting. 

‘We have large oak trees which we hang stands from, so I’ll usually make the trek out to the stand before daylight, watch the sun come up and prepare for the day ahead. 

‘The majority of deer season is spent right in the trees in complete silence, in the hope that the animal I am looking for gives me a shot. 

‘Despite the pictures on social media, there is a lot of down time and failure involved when hunting – I didn’t fill a single tag last deer season despite getting out in the field more than I have ever done. 

Process: ‘A typical day hunting usually involves waking up at five-in-the-morning and dressing in camo from head to toe,’ Brooke explained

Motivation: Brooke says that she hunts for many other reasons than just the thrill of the kill, she also loves spending time in nature and being able to provide food for her family 

Together: ‘I normally hunt on my own, but from time to time, my dad or sister will join me which I love as it makes it a family experience,’ said Brooke

‘I hunt for lots of different reasons; it’s exciting seeing all of your hard work come together and I enjoy harvesting organic meat from my kills which I then get to share with my loved ones, as well as just being able to spend time in nature. 

‘The feeling when you get a kill is a hard one to explain – on one hand, you feel a rush of adrenaline which makes you eager and excited for more, but then there’s also an amount of sadness intertwined. 

‘After spending enough time out hunting, you learn to respect these animals and the natural order. Living and dying is a natural occurrence and there has to be some balance between the two.’ 

Once a successful hunt is over, Brooke will firstly tag the deer so people know it’s a legal harvest and will then bring the animal back to her barn where she will clean and process the meat. 

‘I normally hunt on my own, but from time to time, my dad or sister will join me which I love as it makes it a family experience,’ said Brooke. ‘I enjoy both rifle and bow hunting, but my preference is bow hunting as it’s a lot more challenging, but you get to be a lot closer to the wildlife. 

‘I think my biggest achievement was when I took down a three-hundred-pound black bear whilst in New Mexico when I was just 16 years old. 

‘I recall it being a very fast-paced hunt with lots of dogs as they used their noses to find the scent of a fresh bear trail and once this happened, the race was on. 

‘I was with an outfitter that worked with a local farm and ranch owners were having trouble with the bears killing their deer, cattle and fawns. 

‘I killed the bear in one swipe with my bow and then proceeded to clean him before going back to the office to have him documented. 

Debate: While some critics regularly slam Brooke’s hobby – even sending her death threats via social media – she is also met with support from some, who praise her skills  

Passion: ‘I surround myself with like-minded people who love to see my adventures, so the feedback on my pictures is usually pretty positive and supportive,’ she explained 

Goal: ‘My goal is to travel around the world hunting big game, such as brown bears, red stags and elephants,’ she continued

‘Although I love hunting, there are many issues involved. As I hunt wild animals, it’s hard to try and guess where they’ll be, what the best vantage point is and when they will be there. 

‘It’s also a very expensive sport as good quality equipment doesn’t come cheap. Also, a lot of people don’t understand why I do what I do, so there’s lots of hate that comes from doing this. 

‘I surround myself with like-minded people who love to see my adventures, so the feedback on my pictures is usually pretty positive and supportive. 

‘I’ve had hundreds of encouraging comments such as, “You are seriously my hero” and “Wow, impressive. You’re definitely the real thing” which makes me feel happy and proud of my sport. 

‘However, there’s a lot of negativity that surrounds the sport and although most comments are pretty mild, there’s been some hateful and ugly ones. 

‘I remember once someone calling me a lot of horrible names and then saying that they hope I die. Myself and my little sister have had loads of death threats and we’ve been called every name under the sun. 

‘Although the comments used to really get to me, as they made me question everything I have ever known, I’ve come to understand that the world can be a hateful place and no matter what I do, there are going to be people who disagree. 

‘My goal is to travel around the world hunting big game, such as brown bears, red stags and elephants. I know this will change everything I know about hunting as the culture is very different in other countries, but I’d love to have this opportunity and to see the world. 

‘At the end of the day, I am taking life and that’s always a little sad and I completely understand that hunting isn’t for everyone – but if you’re going to criticize my way of life, please educate yourself on the facts before doing so. 

‘It’s common to think that a hunter only cares about the harvest; but it’s so much more than that – it’s the smell of coffee brewing at the crack of dawn, the cold air that hits your lungs and the peace that comes with sitting and waiting for the sun to come up.’ 

Hunter says even death threats won’t stop her from killing animals – including elephants Source link Hunter says even death threats won’t stop her from killing animals – including elephants

Video of NRA executive Wayne LaPierre hunting elephants sparks outrage

https://abcnews.go.com/US/video-nra-executive-wayne-lapierre-hunting-elephants-sparks/story?id=77366693

The African savanna elephant was designated as endangered last month.ByJulia JacoboApril 28, 2021, 2:02 PM• 7 min read

3:04

On Location: April 30, 2021Catch up on the developing stories making headlines.

A video that shows the National Rifle Association’s embattled executive hunting elephants has sparked outrage among animal activists.

The New Yorker — along with the nonprofit newsroom the Trace — on Tuesday published a video that appears to show NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre struggling to kill an African savanna elephant for the NRA-sponsored television series “Under Wild Skies.”Recent Stories from ABC NewsTop ArticlesREAD MOREArizona: 1 officer killed, 1 hurt by suspect instolen carhttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.453.0_en.html#goog_618952376https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.453.0_en.html#goog_1086139810https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.453.0_en.html#goog_1150596298SKIP AD

“The dying animal rumbles in distress or to warn others — until someone else finally takes over to make the killing shot,” according to a statement from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. “LaPierre’s wife stands by, laughing at the moaning elephant.”MORE: Suspected poacher killed by elephants at South African national park

The video shows guides tracking down an African savanna elephant for LaPierre, who then shoots and wounds it. When LaPierre seemingly attempts to kill the elephant at point-blank range, he shoots it in the wrong place three times, and a guide eventually steps in to fire a fatal shot.

The footage never aired over fears of the potential public relations consequences, The New Yorker reported.

In a statement to ABC News, NRA Managing Director of Public Affairs Andrew Arulanandam confirmed LaPierre was part of a hunt in Botswana. He said the hunt was “fully permitted and conducted in accordance with all rules and regulations.”

“The video offers an incomplete portrayal of the experience — and fails to express the many ways this activity benefits the local community and habitat,” Arulanandam said. “Such hunts are celebrated in Botswana, where they feed villages, contribute to the economy and culture, and are part of the fabric of the region.”

The African savanna elephant was designated as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species last month.

Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images, FILEA general view of elephants grazing at Kimana Sanctuary in Kimana, Kenya, March 2, 2021.

The video was described as “sickening” by multiple wildlife advocate organizations.

“It’s sickening to see LaPierre’s brutal, clumsy slaughter of this beautiful creature. No animal should suffer like this,” Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. “We’re in the midst of a poaching epidemic, and rich trophy hunters like the NRA chief are blasting away at elephants while the international community calls for stiffer penalties for poachers — what message does that send? We need to halt all elephant killings or they’ll vanish forever.”MORE: African elephants now listed as critically endangered after dramatic population declines

The killings likely disrupted the social and family bonds and caused emotional trauma to the remaining herd, Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement to ABC News.

“It was sickening to watch LaPierre’s elephant slaughter and the suffering he caused by his sloppy and cruel attack on this beautiful animal,” Block said. “This hunt occurred during the height of the elephant poaching crisis and makes horribly clear how evil this industry is: so much suffering and death for the sake of bragging rights and a trophy — pieces and parts of these magnificent creatures.”

Evan Vucci/AP, FILENRA executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre attends the National Rifle Association…Read More

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk urged “every member of Congress to watch this video” and “have the courage to reject NRA money.”

“Behind the NRA’s macho posturing are scared little men who pay tens of thousands of dollars for someone else to track elephants so that they can shoot them ineptly at close range,” Newkirk said.

LaPierre’s alleged lavish lifestyle came into the limelight during the NRA’s bankruptcy trial earlier this month. He flies exclusively on private jets and takes expensive personal vacations, the Associated Press reported.MORE: National Rifle Association files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The NRA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. NRA lawyer Greg Garman said during the trial’s opening statements that LaPierre did nothing wrong and made the decision to put the group into bankruptcy to avoid having it placed in a receivership by New York authorities, according to the AP, citing court testimony.

LaPierre is also among four NRA leaders accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of participating in fraud that contributed $64 million in losses. The money was used to finance their lavish lifestyles, the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan County, alleges.

In a statement issued after the lawsuit was filed, LaPierre called James’ investigation politically motivated and aimed at destroying the NRA.

“The NRA is well governed, financially solvent and committed to good governance,” LaPierre said.

A lawyer for LaPierre did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

NRA chief’s agonizing elephant hunt shows what’s wrong with trophy hunting

https://blog.humanesociety.org/2021/04/nra-chiefs-agonizing-elephant-hunt-shows-whats-wrong-with-trophy-hunting.html

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

April 28, 2021 7 Comments

An African elephant in Botswana. Alamy Stock Photo4.2KSHARES

The New Yorker broke a story yesterday about the head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, attempting to kill an endangered elephant in Botswana. The newly released footage exemplifies the blithe depravity of trophy hunting.

The video shows LaPierre’s botched attempt to kill an African elephant, then his struggling to follow a guide’s instructions for ending the animal’s pain. Multiple misplaced gunshots and the animal is still alive; over the course of nearly 10 minutes the elephant suffers an agonizingly slow and painful death.

The footage is hard to watch, and the New Yorker piece captures some appalling details about the events, including LaPierre’s wife cutting off the tail of the elephant she killed as a trophy. But this one repulsive hunt is part of a much larger problem.

The U.S. is the world’s largest importer of hunting trophies, including those from federally protected species. The U.S. imported more than 1.26 million trophies between 2005 and 2014. There were 7,066 elephant trophies traded internationally from 2009 to 2018; that’s 706 per year or almost two per day.

Botswana had a trophy hunting ban in place from 2014 until 2019 to halt catastrophic wildlife population declines and promote ecotourism. In May 2019, however, Botswana lifted its ban, and government sales of hunting opportunities to outfitters began shortly thereafter. We wrote to President Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi at the time, making the case that the decision was not only ecologically disastrous but would also not result in the kinds of benefits to Botswana that non-consumptive wildlife tourism could.

Stopping the death, suffering and ecosystem havoc of trophy hunting worldwide is a priority for the Humane Society family of organizations. We’re doing this through law and policy reform. In the U.S., we’re fighting our way back to the policies in place before 2017-2018, when the Department of Interior lifted existing bans on the import of elephant and lion trophies from certain African countries without soliciting independent scientific input.

We fought the decision to lift the bans, which made it virtually impossible to prevent American trophy hunters from fueling unsustainable and corrupt wildlife management practices abroad.

Now we’re urging the Biden Administration to halt the import of trophies from Endangered Species Act-listed species until a transparent permitting scheme is put in place. In a sign-on letter now circulating on Capitol Hill, Congressman Ted Lieu and other colleagues are asking the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee to prohibit the use of funds by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of International Affairs to issue sport-hunted trophy import permits of threatened or endangered species.

We’re also gearing up for reintroduction of the Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Creature Trophies Act (ProTECT Act), which will help prevent the hunting of any species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

The grotesque details of LaPierre’s elephant killing revealed by this footage should push the U.S. (and the broader world) to forge a better path to peaceful coexistence and stronger protections for threatened and endangered wildlife. We hope you’ll add your voice to our call for change.

Video shows NRA chief struggling to kill elephant in botched hunt

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-shows-nra-chief-struggling-kill-elephant-botched-hunt-n1265657

The video was taken during a 2013 hunting trip to Botswana but was shared Tuesday.

Wayne LaPierre stands on stage at the NRA annual meeting in Dallas on May 5, 2018.Daniel Acker / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileApril 28, 2021, 9:35 AM PDTBy Minyvonne Burke

The National Rifle Association confirmed that a video going around shows its CEO, Wayne LaPierre, killing an elephant during a botched hunt.

The video was taken during a 2013 hunting trip to Botswana but was shared Tuesday by The New Yorker and the nonprofit journalism outlet The Trace.

In the nearly 10-minute video, LaPierre fires at the elephant, causing it to drop to the ground. Because the elephant is still alive, LaPierre and the group move closer to it.

A guide points to the spot where LaPierre needs to fire to kill the elephant, but LaPierre misses. He tries two more times from point-blank range but misses again.

Eventually, a guide fires a shot and kills the animal.

Despite LaPierre’s failed attempts, the group congratulates him on the hunt.

“You dropped him like no tomorrow,” a guide says.

“Your first elephant hunt was one heck of an elephant hunt,” another says.

The video also shows LaPierre’s wife, Susan, killing an elephant on a first shot during the hunt.

The NRA, a gun rights advocacy group, confirmed that it was LaPierre in the video and said the video was for a television show the group was sponsoring at the time.

“The hunt was fully permitted and conducted in accordance with all rules and regulations. The video offers an incomplete portrayal of the experience — and fails to express the many ways this activity benefits the local community and habitat,” said Andrew Arulanandam, the group’s managing director of public affairs.

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“Such hunts are celebrated in Botswana, where they feed villages, contribute to the economy and culture, and are part of the fabric of the region,” he said.

The Center for Biological Diversity challenged that narrative.

“Savannah elephants were just declared endangered by international experts, and these intelligent beings certainly shouldn’t be used as paper targets by an inept marksman,” said Tanya Sanerib, the center’s international legal director.

“It’s sickening to see LaPierre’s brutal, clumsy slaughter of this beautiful creature. No animal should suffer like this,” Sanerib said. “We’re in the midst of a poaching epidemic, and rich trophy hunters like the NRA chief are blasting away at elephants while the international community calls for stiffer penalties for poachers — what message does that send? We need to halt all elephant killings or they’ll vanish forever.”

The video also drew backlash on social media.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NBCNews&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfX0%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1387133842029383680&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fus-news%2Fvideo-shows-nra-chief-struggling-kill-elephant-botched-hunt-n1265657&sessionId=494ad047a3daa995a0a4107262a1aa4eeff60c1f&siteScreenName=NBCNews&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px

In which @NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre manages to alienate both hunters and gun owners because not only is this inhumane, but he’s a horrible shot. https://t.co/IM4vaoxPhO— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 27, 2021

https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=NBCNews&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfX0%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1387382740291629056&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcnews.com%2Fnews%2Fus-news%2Fvideo-shows-nra-chief-struggling-kill-elephant-botched-hunt-n1265657&sessionId=494ad047a3daa995a0a4107262a1aa4eeff60c1f&siteScreenName=NBCNews&theme=light&widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&width=550px

A video just came out of NRA chief Wayne LaPierre shooting and killing elephants.

Pretty on brand for the NRA chief to support killing things that have no way of defending themselves.— David Hogg (@davidhogg111) April 28, 2021

John Feinblatt, president of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, tweeted: “This heartbreaking video captures the two hallmarks of Wayne LaPierre’s leadership: needless death and costly incompetence. You’d be hard pressed to find a more accurate illustration of the casual cruelty that is a trademark of the NRA’s top ranks.”

The video comes as the NRA said it would seek bankruptcy protection and was leaving New York for Texas because New York has a “toxic political environment.”

The planned move comes five months after New York state Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil suit that seeks to dissolve the association and accused executives of spending millions of NRA dollars for personal use, including private-jet travel, trips to places including the Bahamas and pricey meals.

The group countered with its own lawsuit against James, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others for allegedly trying to “blacklist” the group.

Elephant hunts at $70,000 a head to fund Zimbabwe national parks

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/elephant-hunts-at-70000-a-head-to-fund-zimbabwe-national-parks/

April 19, 2021 at 11:12 am Updated April 19, 2021 at 1:45 pm  By Godfrey MarawanyikaBloomberg News

Zimbabwe plans to sell the right to shoot as many as 500 elephants for as much as $70,000 per animal to help fund the upkeep of its national parks.

The hunting season, which takes place over the southern hemisphere winter, will resume this year after the coronavirus pandemic scuppered plans to have elephants shot by foreign tourists in 2020.

Zimbabwe has the world’s second-biggest elephant population and neighboring Botswana has the largest. Both have been criticized by environmental groups for their plans to profit from elephant hunting. Botswana is resuming hunting after a five-year ban.

“How do we fund our operations, how do we pay our men and women who spend 20 days in the bush looking after these animals?” said Tinashe Farawo, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, in an interview on April 17. “Those who are opposed to our management mechanism should instead be giving us the funding to manage better these animals.”

The right to shoot an elephant will cost between $10,000 and $70,000 depending on its size, he said. The parks authority is self funding and its revenue has also been slashed by the plunge in the number of the tourists. The elephants will be shot in hunting concessions rather than the parks frequented by photo-safari tourists.

An excessive number of elephants, Zimbabwe has close to 100,000, has also increased the number of accidents when people encounter them, he said. These include damage to crops and occasional fatalities when the elephants encounter people.ADVERTISINGSkip AdSkip AdSkip Adhttps://de8a1c9448a1e0bd04b07777f21b9d41.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

So far this year 1,000 complaints have been made to the authority compared with 1,500 in all of last year.

“The distress calls from the communities have been increasing due to human wildlife conflict,” Farawo said. “So far 21 people have lost their lives and last year 60 people.

The southern African country draws most of its hunters from U.S., Russia, Mexico and the European Union. In addition to paying for the license to kill the elephant the tourists pay professional hunters to guide them and have their trophies treated by taxidermists and exported back to their home countries.Godfrey Marawanyika

Elephants kill suspected poacher in SA’s Kruger park

Africa Live: Elephants trample poacher to death in SA park – BBC News

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

A suspected poacher has died after being trampled by elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

The South African National Parks (SANParks) on Sunday said the deceased and his two colleagues had been running away from the park’s field rangers “when they ran into a breeding herd of elephants”.

SANParks said the rangers arrested one of the suspects, who told them of their encounter with the elephants. He said he was unsure if his colleagues had escaped.

“The rangers discovered his accomplice badly trampled and who had unfortunately succumbed to his injuries,” the park’s body said in a statement.

“The third suspect is said to have been injured in the eye but continued to flee. A rifle was recovered and the case was referred to police, whom together with the pathology team attended to the scene,” it added.

Kruger National Park executive Gareth Coleman said it was unfortunate that a life had been lost, while congratulating all those involved in the arrests for their “teamwork and dedication”.

In 2019, a suspected rhino poacher was trampled on by an elephant and then eaten by a pride of lions in the park.

African Elephants Declared Endangered, As Botswana Expands Hunting

African Elephants Declared Endangered, As Botswana Expands Hunting (msn.com)

Ed Browne  4 hrs ago

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‘Winter is vanishing’ from the deep waters of Lake MichiganNational Weather Service: Preliminary reports show some EF3 tornado damage

Botswana is offering 287 elephant hunting licenses in April at the same time as a species of African elephant has been listed as critically endangered.© ArishaRay/iStock A stock image shows an elephant eating with its trunk in the wild. Botswana is home to the biggest elephant population in the world.

Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks wants to ramp up its hunting season after it was disrupted last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 100 licenses are due to be issued as well as a further 187 from last year’s season, according to reports.

On Thursday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reported the African forest elephant has been listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant has been listed as endangered.

Before the update, both elephant species had been treated as one single species listed as vulnerable. They were then listed separately following new genetic evidence, and are being considered as closer to extinction than before.

Dr. Bruno Oberle, IUCN director general, said in a statement: “We must urgently put an end to poaching and ensure that sufficient suitable habitat for both forest and savanna elephants is conserved.

“Several African countries have led the way in recent years, proving that we can reverse elephant declines, and we must work together to ensure their example can be followed.”

The latest assessments note there had been an 86 percent decline in the number of African forest elephants over a period of 31 years, while African savanna elephant numbers have fallen by at least 60 percent over 50 years.

Numbers fell particularly sharply after 2008 due to a “significant increase in poaching which peaked in 2011,” the IUCN said.

Despite this, Botswana’s hunting season will open on April 6 with licenses to kill 287 elephants as well as zebras, buffaloes, and leopards. Most overseas trophy hunters come from the United States.

Debbie Peake, spokesperson for the Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, told Voice of America: “Botswana operators aim to reinvigorate the controlled hunting program in 2021, ensuring that communities become shareholders in the hunting wildlife economy and not just stakeholders.”

The outlet reports the government of Botswana held auctions for licenses to kill elephants in February last year, with the cost for one elephant as much as $43,000.

Up until 2019 there was a ban on trophy hunting that had been imposed by Botswana’s then-president Ian Khama in 2014 due to declining wildlife numbers.

This was lifted by current president Mokgweetsi Masisi. In 2019 there were reports elephants had increased their territory and were coming into contact with humans.

Between August 2018 and 2019, 17 people were killed by elephants across Botswana, NPR reported, citing the government.

Botswana is home to more than 130,000 elephants, according to the African Wildlife Foundation—more than any other country in the world.

African Elephants Declared Endangered, As Botswana Expands Hunting (msn.com)

African elephants are just a step or two away from extinction, new report warns

https://blog.humanesociety.org/2021/03/african-elephants-are-just-a-step-or-two-away-from-extinction-new-report-warns.html?credit=blog_em_032621_id12166&utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=humanenation

By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson

March 26, 2021 0 Comments

The IUCN assessment found that the population of savanna elephants has fallen at least 60 percent and that of forest elephants by more than 86 percent since surveys first carried out by researchers in the 1960s and 1970s. Photo by Cathy Smith

Scientists and conservationists have long warned about drastic drops in African elephant populations because of habitat loss, conflicts with humans and poaching for ivory. Trophy hunters exacerbate the problem by mowing elephants down for fun. Yesterday, the International Union for Conservation of Nature sounded a dire warning that these beloved animals could now be just one or two steps away from disappearing forever.

In its Red List assessment of African elephants released yesterday, the IUCN, for the first time, classified elephants into two species based on new genetic evidence, as forest elephants and savannah elephants.

The forest elephant, listed by the IUCN as “critically endangered,” is found in the tropical forests of Central Africa and in a range of habitats in West Africa, while the savanna elephant, listed as “endangered,” prefers open country and is found in a variety of habitats in sub-Saharan Africa including grasslands and deserts.

The IUCN last assessed African elephants in 2008 as a single species and listed them as “vulnerable” at the time. The change in status came after an assessment team gathered data from 495 sites across Africa. The review found that the population of savanna elephants has fallen at least 60 percent and that of forest elephants by more than 86 percent since surveys first carried out by researchers in the 1960s and 1970s.

These are shocking numbers and they highlight the urgency with which we need to address the problems elephants face before it’s too late.

For the Humane Society family of organizations, protecting elephants is a priority and we are engaged in a number of efforts globally to fight threats to their survival. Humane Society International has been working to reduce conflicts and promote co-existence with elephants in South Africa.

The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society Legislative Fund are fighting trophy hunting and wildlife trafficking here in the United States. Our nation is a thriving market for ivory products, as we have shown through our investigations, and it is also home to wealthy trophy hunters who pay tens of thousands of dollars to travel to African nations and kill endangered and at-risk animals, including African elephants, and import their trophies home. We are working hard to stop both.

American trophy hunters imported an average of 460 African elephant trophies every year between 2005 and 2014—that’s more than one elephant trophy every day. In the last Congress, we helped introduce the ProTECT Act, a bill that would help stop the trophy hunting of any species listed as endangered or threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, including African elephants, and we hope to see it introduced again this Congress.

In 2015, we submitted a petition with partner groups urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the African elephant as endangered. In light of these latest findings, we urge the agency to expedite its findings on our petition and give both species of African elephants the ESA protection they need so urgently.

We have also been working with states to pass legislation to end wildlife trafficking, and 12 states, including California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington, and Washington, D.C., now have laws banning the trade in ivory and other wildlife body parts. There are now efforts in Massachusetts and Connecticut to pass similar laws.

Last month, we successfully defended New York’s ivory ban in federal court from a challenge by trade groups, and set a promising precedent for other states that have passed or are considering similar laws ending ivory and rhino horn sales.

Elephants are cherished icons for adults and children the world over. But more importantly, they are a keystone species who shape the forests and lands they live in. Their very survival is tied to the wellbeing of our planet. The IUCN’s announcement is a terrifying one, but it is also an opportunity for range nations and for those that deal in trafficked and trophy hunted products to act swiftly and pull out all the stops to protect these gentle giants. A world without them is simply unthinkable.

Sara Amundson is president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

Victory! Court says New York’s ban on ivory, rhino horn sales will stay

https://blog.humanesociety.org/2021/03/victory-court-says-new-yorks-ban-on-ivory-rhino-horn-sales-will-stay.html?credit=blog_em_030821_id12121&utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=humanenation

March 8, 2021 3 Comments

Poachers use assault weapons and poisoned arrows to kill elephants and hack off their faces for the ivory, sometimes when the animals are still alive. Even juvenile animals with small tusks do not escape this gruesome fate. Photo by Guenterguni/iStock.com2.6KSHARES

A federal court in New York has rejected a challenge by trade groups to the state’s landmark ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn sales. The ruling is not just a win for these beleaguered animals, whose numbers in the wild are dropping at an alarming rate, it also affirms the right of states like New York to create laws that protect wildlife and end their own participation in such cruelty.

The challenge was brought by the Art and Antique Dealers League of America and the National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America, who argued that the ban was unconstitutional. The court, in its ruling, noted that New York’s prohibition on displaying certain ivory objects not legal for sale in the state “serves New York’s interest of halting the illegal sale of ivory within its borders” and that it is narrowly tailored to that interest because it “reduces the opportunity for, and temptation to engage in, a quick illegal sale.”

The Humane Society of the United States, along with our allies, the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council and Wildlife Conservation Society, intervened in the lawsuit in support of New York, to help defend the law.

New York’s ban, which became law in 2014, is particularly important if we are to end the global ivory trade in this nation. The state had always been one of the biggest destinations for ivory traffickers in the United States. Before the law went into effect, New York was home to the nation’s largest ivory market. In 2012, an investigation by state authorities led to the seizure of elephant ivory worth more than $2 million from jewelers based in New York City.

Ending ivory and rhino horn trafficking is critical if we are to ensure these beloved animals do not disappear from earth. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year in Africa. All five rhino species in the world are threatened with extinction and there are fewer than 29,000 rhinos left in the wild today in their natural habitats in Africa and Asia.

Elephants and rhinos not only die in large numbers for the ivory and rhino horn trade, they die in some of the cruelest ways imaginable. Poachers use assault weapons and poisoned arrows to kill the animal and hack off their faces for the ivory or the horns, sometimes when the animals are still alive. Even juvenile animals with small tusks or horns do not escape this gruesome fate. This is no way to treat these gentle giants who also face a multitude of other threats to their survival in their range countries, including climate change and habitat loss

The United States is one of the world’s largest markets for elephant ivory and rhino horn, and we need to do all we can to root this trade out here. If there are no markets left for such products, there is no incentive for poachers to continue to kill the animals. That’s why we have been working with states to pass laws ending such trade. New Jersey was the first state to ban ivory sales in 2014, followed by New York. Altogether, 12 states and Washington, D.C. have now passed laws or ballot measures banning ivory and other wildlife body parts, including California, Hawaii, Oregon, Nevada, New Hampshire, Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Vermont and Washington. There are now efforts in Massachusetts and Connecticut to pass similar laws.

New York lawmakers are also considering a bill that we support that would further strengthen the state’s ivory ban by increasing penalties for those who sell illegal ivory articles and rhino horns.

The win in New York last week affirms states’ rights to legislate to keep cruel and inhumane products out of their marketplaces, whether those products are eggs from cruelly confined hens, puppies from puppy mills or ivory trinkets. It also sets a promising precedent for other states that have passed or are considering similar laws ending ivory and rhino horn sales. A similar law was upheld by a California court in 2016, a case in which the same coalition of animal welfare groups, including the HSUS, intervened to successfully defend the law.

Let’s celebrate today even as we continue the fight to protect these animals from this ghastly trade.

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