Anti-Hunters Slaughter Botswana’s Wildlife

In 2014, anti-hunting zealots convinced Botswanan politicians to close hunting on government and community lands. Since that time, the health of Botswana’s wildlife and its habitat have been on the decline.

Without income from hunting, dozens of concession holders, the safari operators who invested thousands of dollars in improving habitat, had no choice but to walk away. And in this hot, desert land, when the diesel ran out, water pumps on scores of bore holes throughout the country ground to a halt. The result? These lush, vibrant pans in the desert; the only water source for miles and miles quickly evaporated in the harsh African sun. The only waterhole most every antelope and pachyderm in the bush had ever known was gone, and so the wildlife died. Elephants, rhino, leopards, and lions died. So did herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and dozens of other antelope species; they all died because the hunters were gone.

While government officials and NGO’s scramble to play the blame game, one fact is irrefutable: hunting created the revenue that improved habitat, in this case, providing permanent water in the desert. But when hunting stopped, the water dried up and the animals died. Ironic, isn’t it? Presumably well-intentioned people and organizations fought to save animals from the supposed cruelty of the hunters’ bullet, and when hunting was banned, thousands and thousands of animals died. Because of their emotion-based crusade to save animals, the anti-hunters are directly responsible for the death of thousands.

Admittedly, killing one animal for the benefit many is a difficult intellectual concept to grasp. However, the concept is much easier to understand when one thinks with their brain instead of their heart.