Hunter's Path XVI

Remember, these nefarious people are
NOT concerned about Africa’s elephants.
Their primary purpose is to extract large
sums of money from gullible publics in the
West. The two biggest animal rights organisations
in the world are reported to enjoy
annual incomes of more than US$ 200 million
and US$ 125 million, respectively.
What is at risk? ALL “living resources”
are at risk - not JUST the hunting industry.
All animal husbandry practices in agriculture
are at risk too!
Due to the fact that Southern Africa is
expected, by the whole world, to “preserve
its elephants at all costs”, we cannot manage
our excessive populations in any way. That
means we are going to have to sit back and
watch our elephants turning our national
parks into deserts. Kruger National Park
– just ONE of Southern Africa’s big game
reserves - has, within the time span of MY
adult life, lost more than ninety-five percent
of its top canopy trees (still counting)! American
hunters cannot take their elephant (and
lion) trophies - legally acquired in Zimbabwe
- back home; which means Southern Africa’s
wildlife industries - the backbone of which
is hunting - have already been downgraded.
CITES denies us the right to trade in our own
wildlife and wildlife products; which means
we cannot investigate the possibility that a
legal trade in ivory and rhino horn might be
the best way to stop commercial poaching.
And all along the way, Africa is being denied
much-needed revenue - for example, from
the legal sale of ivory and rhino horn - that
could be used to combat whatever poaching
is taking place.
Africa no longer has the freedom of
action to try different wildlife management
solutions - to develop better “best practice”
management options - because we have to
toe the CITES line! The world is, in fact, forcing
over-regulation and external control of
Africa’s wildlife utilisation programmes –
because the animal rightists want to STOP
them all.
NB: And over-regulation stifles vital innovation.
The most dangerous development in recent
years, however, has been the fact that
many First World governments are working
hand-in-glove with the animal rightist NGOs
- to achieve what are essentially animal rightist
goals. The American government, for example
- as I have previously explained - now
denies its hunters the right to return home
with their legitimately procured elephant and
lion trophies. It is now illegal to move carved
ivory artefacts - even ancient carvings in museums
- across many state lines in America
in the mistaken belief that that action will
help ‘save’ the elephants of Africa. The European
Union supports many similar animal
rights demands.
Finally, the animal rightists, through
CITES, are constantly wearing away at all
the opportunities that Africa has, to “use” its
wildlife sustainably for the benefit of Africa’s
rural people. That alone - if these pernicious
people succeed - will destroy any hope that
Africa’s wildlife can be ‘saved’ into posterity.
The only organisation in the whole
world that is specifically committed to stopping
this animal rights avalanche is South
Africa’s very new TRUE GREEN ALLIANCE
NGO - which will be operating hand-inglove
with our established wildlife industry
from now on. And - for what it is worth - I
have, personally, dedicated the rest of my
life to the task of destroying the credibility
of the animal rights doctrine in the public
domain.
Ron Thomson
President, TRUE GREEN ALLIANCE •
BOOK REVIEW by Dr. Rolf D. Baldus
Elephant ‘Conservation’ – The Facts and the Fiction
THE BOOK
OF THE
YEAR ON
ELEPHANT!
In 2016, we have seen many discussions,
conferences and campaigns on elephant
conservation. The opinions voiced are completely
opposed to each other. The loudest
are from people who live far away from elephant
and who have little knowledge of what
is happening on the ground. Many of these
make a living by collecting donations from
trustful wildlife enthusiasts for supposedly
saving elephant from extinction. Very little of
this money ever reaches the elephant ranges.
Ron Thomson knows what he is talking
about. He has worked thirty years in
wildlife management, in particular with
elephant. For some he is a controversial
figure, not only because he was personally
involved in culling over 3,000 elephant, but
also because he has very strong opinions
on what is good and what is bad elephant
management. However, his opinions are
supported by loads of facts and evidence.
In his latest book on elephant conservation,
he names and shames a great many
politically prominent people and organizations
- without fear or favor - in the fervent
belief that the public has the right to know
the truth about what is going on in Africa.
His startling revelations about the continent’s
commercial poaching industry are
truly astonishing and will shock many.
This publication is hard talk about wildlife
management and the animal welfare movement.
For me it is the most important book
of 2016 on elephant.
Ron Thomson
Elephant ‘Conservation’
The Facts and the Fiction
Ron Thomson Publications,
South Africa 2016
Price: ca. US$50 incl. postage
Order at: magron@ripplesoft.co.za
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