Trophy Hunter Who Kills Endangered Elephants and Lions ‘Eaten by Crocodiles’
Hunting is primarily a sport that involves searching for, chasing and killing wild animals and birds. This early human hunting was necessary, providing food (meat), clothing (leather), as well as material for tools made of bones, horns, and hooves.
Hunting codes
There is a difference between hunting for sports and hunting for food and business. For the Normans hunting was mainly for meat from the early Middle Ages so it was organized to ensure the most killing for the least effort.
Strict codes of conduct in hunting were developed, based on the standards held by the royal lord and nobles.
Hunting Methods
The basic methods of sport hunting are:
- Stalking,
- Still-hunting,
- Tracking,
- Driving,
- Sitting up, and
- Calling
Equipment for Hunting
Weapons are chosen according to the particular type of hunting. For hunting, bigger animals are used high-powered rifles, according to the regulations of the states.
In many places around the World, poaching is a real problem. Some malicious hunters sneak into reserves and refuges to kill animals for certain “precious” parts (ivory and rhinoceros). Sometimes legal hunting, also known as “trophy” hunting, which is done primarily for sports and entertainment, is equally problematic.
Animals do not surrender easily to hunters, not knowing whether they are legal or not, so they often oppose them – they fight hunters, and sometimes they defeat them.
Hunter Eaten By Crocodiles While Hunting for Rhinos
There are a lot of such cases, and we will focus in detail on the famous South African trophy hunter who was eaten by crocodiles while hunting in Zimbabwe.
The website of South African hunter Scott van Zyl states that he has completed a number of hunts, listing elephants, bison, blue duikers, lions, rhinos, leopards, and antelopes. He is also known for organizing hunting trips for foreign clients,
Unfortunately, in 2017, Scott disappeared while on a hunt but is believed to have been eaten by crocodiles on the banks of the Limpopo River.
He was accompanied that day by a bunch of dogs and a Zimbabwean tracker, but after the separation, the dogs and the tracker returned to their camp without van Zyl. Rescue teams, helicopters, trackers, and divers tried unsuccessfully to find him, only to eventually find clues leading to the riverbank, where his backpack was found. Also, inside two crocodiles in the river, after their testing by forensics, human remains were found.
Other incidents in which hunters were killed by animals they hunted
Although there are organizations and individuals who would stop poachers before hunting precious species, sometimes animals take matters into their own hands (paws).
Poachers who intentionally kill endangered species for money and / or entertainment should be stopped.
Here are some examples of where hunters had an accident with animals:
In July 2019, thieves who entered a reserve in South Africa to throw endangered rhinos also faced a gruesome fate. The next day, their weapons, shoes, some clothing, and human body parts were found.
Here are some stories of animals attacking hunters, such as:
- Rhinos charging at hunters
- Lions attacking hunting camps at nighttime
- Tigers targeting and hunting human prey
- Elephants stampeding at unsuspecting people
It is clear that the animals are sending a message to people that if they try and mess with them, they will retaliate.
The Difference between Legal “Trophy” Hunting and Poaching
In many countries, there are only specific seasons in which people can hunt legally certain species, but pouching is present in a reality.
There are a variety of organizations that support ending the poaching and hunting of endangered and important species around the world that can be contacted:
- International Anti-Poaching Foundation
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- World Wildlife Fund
- The WILD Foundation
- Chengeta Wildlife
- Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Community Markets for Conservation
SOME HUNTING TIPS (STRATEGIES)
- Go extra slow – move slowly enough, or stay put long enough
- STOP at the noise – if you suspect animals are close by and you make an unusually loud noise, stop and stand there as long as you can
- QUICK-STEPPING for deer – try taking quick steps in a short sprint for 10 to 20 yards or so, then stop, and do it again
- DESIGN A BETTER DRIVE – deer will often wait for hunters to pass and then sneak back and runoff in other direction
- DRIVE SOLO – try a one-man drive, purposely walk into an area with the wind at your back
- PICK YOUR LANDMARKS – as you change your location pick a distinctive object on the skyline that you can recognize from the back (a large tree, a fence line or a rock), which will help guide you to the correct spot
- Try to anticipate where the animal will be once you complete your stalk
- FOLLOW AN ANIMAL WITH CARE – when tracking an animal, remember that it will be alert to its back trail
- CLEAR SHOOTING LANES – practice taking up shooting positions for all the directions
- SWEEP AWAY BLIND CLUTTER – sitting in a ground blind or standing next to a tree, sweep away leaves and brush with your boot
- GLASS AND RE-GLASS – glassing with a binocular early in the morning should be careful because of the light
TRACKING
- MARK EVERY SPOT OF BLOOD with a piece of toilet tissue or flagging, and remove it later
- DON’T GIVE UP – Start looking for tiny spots of blood
- If you’re hunting in a brushy area and you drop an animal at a distance, make a mental note of where it stood at the shot
- Shot animal is more likely to run off than one that doesn’t go down but runs some distance and then falls
- DON’T FOLLOW THE LEADER – quickly make a big circle and try to ambush the deer
STAYING WARM
- SLEEP IN COMFORT
- BRING YOUR BEST BAG
- Riding a horse in cold weather will chill you rapidly, so warm up by walking the horse downhill
Sources: