Hannes Wessels,
It was with dismay I read a recent report in ‘The Times of London’ about the recent killing in western Zimbabwe of a lion named ‘Blondie.’ Reading about a lion being killed does not fill me with joy but that was not the reason for my disappointment. That came as a result of being reminded that there is probably no journalist in the employ of the MSM (mainstream-media) who could be bothered to probe beyond the narrative that is being so well received by the public, and if there was, there probably is not an editor with the gumption to break from the jaundiced story the world wants to hear.
In this instance, in a repeat of the ‘Cecil’ the lion furore ten years ago, readers, listeners and viewers around the world are enraged to learn that a loveable lion with an endearing name (I gather there are other lions in the area also called ‘Blondie’), and a collar, has been killed thanks to the efforts of a corpulent white professional hunter with a beer-belly, pictured with a big beaming smile holding a recently hooked tiger-fish. This provides excellent copy to feed the frenzy permeating the public arena filled with people too thoughtless to bother about the context or the facts before forming an infuriated lynch-mob.
Contrary to the received wisdom this lion was not baited on the edge of the national park but had wandered off of its own volition over 10 kms from the park boundary into a hunting area. He had recently survived a fight with a rival coalition after the disappearance of his brother, and the lack of a dominant male to protect the lionesses. By all accounts the encounter with the lion was by chance, a fair chase endeavour, no bait involved, and legal.
Every year over 70 lions are legally shot in the country and as far as I know this yield is perfectly sustainable. The number killed illegally in snares, through poisoning and other means is probably higher but that is another snippet that will be of little interest to the Carrie Johnsons and Greta Thunbergs of this world.
What is also not widely reported is collared lions in this instance and area are not protected, and the people and associations who collar them are well aware of this. The Oxford University researchers, to their great credit, have let this be known and understand that the managed hunting component where these lions roam forms part of the wider conservation dynamic that must be factored into future planning.
At least one hunter in the area has routinely reported collared lions in his concession and solicited the consent of the relevant authorities before continuing to hunt them. Hunters have let it be known that they are open to certain lions being protected but they must be defined and identified, and this must be communicated to them. Cynics involved in this controversy point out that having a collared lion killed with the attendant publicity as in this case is very good for the business of fund-raising.
One of the hunters in this area challenges members of the outraged public to accompany him to a meeting with some of the local villagers, elders and chiefs where they can fully ventilate their anger in his presence, and explain to the meeting why hunting must stop immediately and all animals must be given full freedom of movement.
The local attendees might well then ask their interlocuters why there was no fulminating when a young boy named Elton, while on his way to school in the morning, was killed by lions near where ‘Cecil’ was shot and at almost the same time. And another young teenager killed at night sleeping in the maize-fields while trying to protect the crops from foraging elephants. And the old railwayman at Kennedy Siding on the edge of the park, killed and partially devoured after returning at night to his dwelling from an outing.
Hunters and Guides ask if anyone remembers Quinn Swales; the guide mauled and killed by a belligerent lion while on a walking safari in Hwange Park soon after the ‘Cecil’ uproar? He almost certainly did not fire because he was too terrified of the adverse publicity that would follow the death of another lion.
The true figure is probably greater but every year over 100 villagers are killed by wild animals in Zimbabwe, hundreds, maybe thousands of domestic animals are devoured, and extensive crop-damage suffered as a result of marauding elephants. The fact is, and what the local people know, is the professional hunters the world loves to hate (often, but not always white) are revered in their homelands where they offer them some protection while plying their tough and often dangerous trade while trying to find and maintain the delicate balance that allows humans to co-exist in these areas without decimating the wildlife. And central to this uneasy trade-off is the portion of hunting-generated revenue that accrues to them to compensate for the losses they suffer and the dangers they live with. Stop the hunting, stop the revenue flow, remove the protection, and the local inhabitants will kill the animals, extend their cropping areas, destroy the natural habitat, and turn the area into a dustbowl, it is that simple.
As the anti-hunting lobby grows in number and influence, notwithstanding the salient facts, it looks increasingly pointless trying to reason with them but if anyone out there cares to know more, the research on the impact of hunting in Kenya and South Africa is enlightening.
Data indicates that following the closure of all hunting in Kenya in 1974 the wildlife population has declined by over 60%. In South Africa following the privatisation of wildlife and the establishment of safari hunting as a legitimate branch of the country’s tourism industry the wildlife population has grown from roughly 500,000 to over four million animals.
I pen this article because it is all I can do in the full knowledge my views are but a whisper in the wind, and feel a little better for trying, but I have learned the hard way that arguing with stupid people, their minds mangled by emotion, who are in denial when it comes to facts, is a waste of good beer-drinking time!
Cheers to anyone who bothers to read it!
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Is it possible that is because it’s not the whole story? As even Hannes says it appears the lines may be blurred here.
There are probably more sides to this …. unfortunately there ARE unethical hunters around. I’m not saying that that was the case in this instance, but they are in the hunting fraternity. I am not anti hunting at all – I am just anti unethical and unsustainable hunting. Having said that, nothing is worse than poaching ….
Building a photographic camp on the boundary of a hunting concession is like building a hotel in California and THEN complaining about earthquakes… I have guided people to look at these lions and explained the life and dangers they live by. If this was explained to clients instead of just slating hunters the world would be a more knowledgeable place. So many of the people that complain of a lion being shot do it around a braai cooking an animal that was born to die..how many of them have visited a slaughterhouse to see how their lunch was killed… but that’s OK….
Does anybody recall a hunter called Bloodnut Curtis operating in Zambia????
I remember reading he was robbed and murdered in Bulawayo about 6 or so years ago. Does anyone know if the murderers were apprehended???¿
Yes he was a very close friend. Killed in an armed robbery at his home. A suspect was killed in some sort of confrontation with the police.
Well done Hannes, experience tops the stupid an uneducated.Thank you.
‘Stupid and uneducated’. You write those words after reading an article making several claims, but entirely devoid of evidence, science or reference. Rather than calling people silly names, perhaps you ought to contribute to the debate with actual scientific evidence and an intelligent argument? Otherwise it’s you who is looking rather ‘stupid’ and perhaps you should turn the finger pointing back towards yourself?
On the money, Hannes. Good job. The last few paragraphs are a sad truth of our world in the current climate of threatening globalism and rising liberalism!
It doesn’t look like you did much research before writing this. As a photographer working in Hwange for the last 3 years I can guarantee you Blondie was 100% baited off the photographic concession where his pride resides. He was also under the age of 6 and leaves behind 10 cubs that are now vulnerable to new males. The hunter in question made no contributions to the community. Ask any of the property owners or guides in the region, they will confirm.
Hi Rachel I’m getting different reports but from people who have hunted and guided in this area for over 40 years and the fact is there is some uncertainty surrounding what actually transpired in the course of this lion’s life, what happened to his brother, the mother of cubs in the area, and who was the sire.
Rachel’s comment about Blondie being baited is very incorrect… it is a hunting concession so should read. “Lions were baited” as this is how the hunting of lions is conducted throughout africa. Please educate yourself before putting incorrect statements out that are damaging the photographic as well as the hunting industry in Zim and Africa. It is not the shooting of a lion that is destroying our industry as a whole but rather the fact that some Guides and Hunters do not work together to further the understanding and education of foreign and local tourists of how our industry benefits all involved.
Please share your collared data of where he spent 90% of his days so we can all see. Thanks
Hi Hannes
You and I grew up in Rhodesia at the same time, loving the bush and hunting with our families. We both served during the hondo and still carry the scars and heartache. I unfortunately now live in England and have given up getting involved in conversations about my life in Rhodesia and Southern Africa as the majority of people are ignorant and cannot accept the truth. You have my sympathy and understanding so please know that there are many Rhodesians and South Africans who love your articles so please don’t stop.
Hannes – it’s unfortunate that your op-ed speaks so one sided. Hence, it is factually flawed on many accounts. Had you contacted some of the well known photographers who have showcased him annd his pride over the last 3 years, they’ll tell you something different. Had you contacted the stakeholders who have watched him and protected him and his pride over the last 3 years, you will learn something different. Had you contacted the guides in these concessions who see him every day with his pride, showcasing him to 100’s of tourists, you will learn something different. Instead you just speak to the hunter/s and some guides who are not in this area where Blondie was protected and lived. He does not have a coalition brother and there was no fight. He left my concession on a bait for several weeks before being shot.
This PH is a scavenger, coming in to the area for his own gain and puts absolutely nothing back. No roads, no fire guards, no anti poaching efforts. Let’s have a discussion, call me and I’ll show you the truth.
Sharon I try to keep this platform open to anyone who can contribute constructively to the discussion so happy to publish a rebuttal if you would like to do that? The actual specifics of this saga do seem a little blurred but what we know is this hunt was legal and from what I can gather the lion roamed of its own accord some 10 kms into the hunting area.
Believe what you will Hannes and it’s obvious you will support the hunter/s version since you disregard me. Best practice journalism would be to keep an open mind and listen to those who actually live here, on the concession where Blondie spent most of his time and where these cubs were born. To give a more balanced review, all these players should have been consulted. Please ask Wild Cru to give you his loc stats to prove his territorial movements before just taking the PH’s word which is of course skewed to protect himself. Blondie was baited, there is factual evidence of this beginning on the boundary of my concessions, and then fed there with the females and cubs for a couple of weeks. The PH will spin the stories but he knows nothing of that Lions life and his history as we do who live/lived with him. He was baited 100%.
Legality is one thing, but being unprofessional and unethical is another. Blondie’s collar is extremely noticeable and sits right behind his ears on top of his mane. I can show you countless photos to prove that . The PH knew he had cubs and was a Pride male. He was heard saying this to others at Main Camp meetings. You will always protect the hunters version, but thank you for publishing some others here like mine who tell a very different story. The more factual ones.
Sharon I do try to keep an open mind. And if the photographic operators could come up with a commercial return in these often marginal areas that competes with the hunters then maybe stopping the hunting would be worth considering. As far as hearing the other side of the story I’m deafened by the screams of the anti-hunting majority so forgive me for not reaching out to you.
Sharon you and I have known and I believe respected each other’s views for many years. I do however find the comment that the ph is a “Scavenger” is way out of line. I know him and respect him as a family man, pro hunter and a member of our community. He has done so much work with local youngsters both in the bush and on the water teaching about conservation and the care of wildlife. Before labeling a person maybe get to know them and what transpired before tarnishing there reputation.
I know him too. Very well. And when using the word scavenger it means that very little is put back into these communities from his hunting fees.
So the researchers say he was 5 years and 4 months old and you saying you have watched him as a pride male for 3 years. Does this mean he became a pride male at 2 odd years old??? Seems very strange to me. At 2 years old a lion is still regarded as juvenile. Another safari company had a picture of a lion called Blondie on their website in 2020 with a partial mane. So that would then put Blondie at more like 7 years old. Seems like more than one person on this forum has “flawed ” information.
This is very interesting indeed. Maybe Rachel can help here?
Hi Chris, this was interesting to me so I went to the Imvelo page and took a screen shot of the ‘Blondie’ that had been photographed. I then compared the spot pattern to the Blondie that was Trophy Hunted via my own photograph. Clearly not the same lion. It is very easy to disprove that claim for anyone with minor knowledge on identifying lions.
Chris Chris Chris please!. These are two different lions, different ages, different concessions. Go look at that lion on Imvelo site. Same name, two very different lions.
Blondie was first seen on our concession 3 years ago. It doesn’t mean he started mating immediately….. because as you can see, his cubs are 1 years only and another set of 3 month olds. I didn’t realize you guys take things so literally, because lions can come onto concessions and not start a pride immediately !
Hannes, I’ve asked that you call me so that you can hear another side. But instead you continue to pick up small things , taking offense to the nouns I’ve used to describe a pattern of behavior, but at the same time labelling me as screaming like an anti.
That’s perhaps why you don’t call me, because having to correct your falsehoods here would make you lose face with the brotherhood.
Anyone else, please call me or email me for the real truth.
You’re welcome.
Sharon the point I was making was we have all heard, from multiple sources, the story from the anti-hunting perspective and your version mirrors that. I am the first to admit I don’t have all the facts so if I erred I’m sorry, but I wrote the article because I believed there was another side to this saga and I wanted to give it some exposure, albeit limited because my audience is small but I wanted to try. I repeat, my concern is for these marginal areas of which I have fond memories, where wildlife presently survives and in some cases thrives, and I strongly believe this success is due to managed trophy hunting.
As far as ‘falsehoods’ are concerned, I believe there was a bait out but unlikely it ‘lured’ this lion out the Park because it was over 10 kms from the Park boundary. I apologise if I misled you or anyone else when I asserted the lion was not baited.
I agree, there are more sides to this ….
Well written and right on the money as always Hannes. The last two paragraphs sum up the truth too! Cheers!
Thanks Peter
Arguing with stoooopid people is pointless as Ian Smith found out to his detriment at the Lancaster House Indaba in 1980…….
Cheers Hannes. I wish I could share that beer with you.
I always enjoy reading your comments.
I have yet to buy your other book.
Brian, New Zealand.
Cheers Brian
Hey Bwana H,
On the contrary, I always read your articles as I know you not only speak the truth but also speak from the heart.You walked the miles and earned the T shirt over many years and have tremendous experience in the pros and cons of the ‘hunting world’ especially in Zimbabwe!
Thank you and as you said..difficult to reason with the uneducated or stupid!
Well done,
Salute. Don
Thanks very much Don appreciate your kind words. I do wish we could get more people to understand the reality of wildlife conservation.
Thanks for this, Hannes. NOT the story we’re getting in North America.
I’d like to see Greta’s head mounted on some trophy room wall. There will never be peace between the Eternal Enemies, so pragmatism should be the order of the day, with covert hunting of the biggest trophy heads! It could be such fun!
Absolutely true! The new generation of offspring reaching what would normally be the age of enlightenment and common sense is mired in self absorption, trivia and superficial instant entertainment. Yes and for the men; beer and self aggrandizement and the women; “me to” and what can be done to save the poor criminal trash in their Pollyanna dream world.
Bravo Hannes. Succinct and straightforward.