There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Quote:Wildlife conservation efforts could suffer because toxic online rows about trophy hunting are becoming increasingly abusive, ecologists have warned.
Scientists have analyzed hundreds of tweets about trophyhunting and found that 7% were abusive. This is a similar proportion to content on partisan topics on social media platforms known to highlight extreme viewpoints.
The findings, by conservation scientists at the University of Reading and the University of Sheffield, are published today (March 9) in the journal Conservation Biology.
Graphic images posted on Twitter of tigers, crocodiles, giraffes and elephants shot by hunters often provoke angry responses from Twitter users. For example, in two tweets examined by the researchers, one user says a trophy hunter "deserved to die" and another said trophy hunters should "shoot yourselves."
As a result of this hostile atmosphere, arguments from some conservationists, who suggest trophy hunting might be positive overall for protecting species and habitats, are often shouted down by the opponents of hunting. This means different conservation viewpoints are not heard and policymakers are less aware of them.
Quote:Are African animals the responsibility of UK politicians? It certainly seems MPs think so, according to a short film Tweeted recently by the Leader of the House of Commons, regarding Henry Smith’s Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. It shows Penny Mordaunt solicitously asking Smith “Are you ready?” as he prepares to ‘protect’ wildlife.
The only wildlife shown is African, transplanted into hallowed UK settings. A cheetah calmly sits outside Parliament. An elephant stands, magnificent, in the halls of UK power. A zebra lies down in the lobby. A leopard reclines on the stairs. A lion relaxes in the centre of the House. It is beautiful — and extremely jarring for many viewers, particularly Africans, who have protested against it.
It jars because the film is a searingly accurate insight into how wildlife is perceived in this Bill. The focus is exclusively on beautiful, docile individuals, entirely removed from the context of their habitat, populations, and those countries and communities who actually conserve them. In the real world, these animals require massive areas of land. Real lions, leopards and elephants kill and injure people, attack livestock and destroy entire harvests, imposing huge costs on often-vulnerable communities. Protected areas come with major economic and opportunity costs. People need tangible reasons to put up with this – and trophy hunting is one such reason. Just as with photo-tourism, it helps incentivise governments and communities to maintain wild habitats and biodiversity. These areas are vast — more lion range, for example, is conserved in hunting areas than in National Parks.
But aren’t these animals part of our global heritage? The lion is, after all (and slightly oddly), the UK national animal. Aren’t rich white hunters killing the last few of these magnificent animals, driving them ever closer to extinction?
Can legalised-hunting help conservation?
