On Friday, at a national park in Zimbabwe, an elephant wast shot and killed by a group of big-game trophy hunters. As it died, it collapsed on the South African-based hunt leader and took his life.
Theunis Botha was a big-game hunter who ran an established hunting business. His company, Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris, developed a style of hunting that uses packs of dogs to drive animals like leopards, lions, and elephants towards hunters, who then slaughter them.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were approximately 3-5 million elephants in Africa. Now there are fewer than 400,000. And yet big game hunting continues.
Botha and other big game hunters, as well as at least one established conservation organization, argue that this type of hunting supports efforts to protect nature and wildlife. They say the money hunters pay in fees can be used to help support local communities who would otherwise need to poach elephants to feed their families.
But this is simply not the case. Trophy hunting does not stop poaching. Money big game hunters pay in fees do not help local communities. And killing majestic animals with declining populations is not conservation.
It is truly unfortunate that Theunis Botha lost his life last week. But it is also unfortunate that it takes an event like this to put significant media attention & spotlight on the disturbing hobby of wealthy humans getting off by murdering animals from other species.
As we highlighted last week, elephants are intelligent, emotional beings. If you want to support them, don’t sign up to go murder one– support a group like the Global Sanctuary for Elephants that is working tirelessly to protect, rescue, and provide sanctuary for them.
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You erased my whole detailed comment before sending me ‘back’ to fill in name & email address. Thanks for wasting my time.
Interesting Rachel Vroom idea, the human ego remains alive & well as 10 mil yrs. ago.. Perhaps was part of earth’s original plan that ‘we’ were put here, to “take out older elephants” tho’ doubt it & think biological nature had that covered without our ‘help.’ Also not possible to know or ask an elephant if is “suffering” in it’s dotage & would like ‘our’ help. However…. considering that ‘we’ are the only overpopulated species, (elephants now threatened) perhaps among the eight billion of us, projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, there are surely a heck of lot older suffering humans & much more importantly this idea might work well for them. Also, if we could cut the human population, it would mean less demand for ivory, less expropriation of animal habitat for human habitat, less trophy hunting, etc. & elephants might have a chance not to go extinct.
I wanted to ask what are some other safe and legal ways we can take out the older elephants what about using a blow gun with a needle that ends their suffering whenever they get to be too old and can no longer move around that good or are able to hunt prey for them selves instead of using rifles and other means of WEAPONARY and everything this way they are being put down easier rather then just killing them with rifles or what not and stuff and the ivory trade needs to be stopped period and made illegal because these precious animals don’t deserve to have their tusks taken off of them just to sell it to make items such as bars of soap or necklaces or earrings or used to trade with and stuff and so I think and feel there should be a better and much safer way to end an older elephants life rather than doing it with a weapon of arms and stuff like that what does every one else think here and everything like that and stuff do you think this is a good or an ok idea so that people in Africa can actually feed their families and feed them selves as well and everything like that and stuff and so the people of Africa actually have a CHANCH at life and so will their families and stuff
Don’t u think i know that ,everything is down to money isn’t it i wish ppl stop talking in riddles ,there must be an easier way to kill elephants ,than just blasting them to death i have my opinion an u have yours so it will say what i want
I will live ,laugh an prosper mate your still talking out of Ur arse with all your fancy talk ,goodbye
If u say so ,regardless lighter shade of grey u talk rubbish an whatever u say it’s still an evil way of killing a big beast ,and any animal would do the same if they were being shot at
I’ve listened to u an the ppl who kill the animals don’t just pay a few thousand tho do they so u should tell the truth on that one ,it’s more like 50thousand dollars an yeah we know Africa is a poor country but it’s still not fair the way animals are killed an shown off as trophies ,i don’t agree with it
Well $50,000 thousand goes a long way in Africa that’s paying for the land to stay a habitat and the staff to keep tabs on animals and poachers, and then some. If you can get hunters who would regardless of laws and conservation efforts go and kill these animals anyways, to pick off the weakest and most violent ones and pay you for it, I don’t see how that can be a loss. It’s a necessary evil, the lightest shade of grey.
Ivan, only if human pop. would remain stable, might it do what u say, but African human pop. just topped one billion & keeps growing, there is no such thing as ‘staying’ any non-human habitat for any future length of time. No amount of sacrificed elephant blood & tusks today will save the species in the end. It’s a straw game.
J Fowles, a few thou, $50 thou, doesn’t matter, it is written in stone, that in any given illogical, unreasonable or inexplicable human action, always, look to the dollar. Any amount.
[Please read the whole thing before getting angry.]
Now I wish there would be more information about this. This could be genuinely deserved karma or a tragedy.
Everyone on here seems to say something to the effect of “Good riddance, had it coming!” “Scum, glad he died.”
But the thing is the animals (sadly) have to pay their way to keep living. African countries are poor. They can only afford to keep so much of that land pristine and open for the animals. The rest will be taken up by farmers, miners, and developers.
Hunting resorts are actually an ingenious way to keep the wild lands in pristine condition. I know, you’re probably saying “Ivan you stupid f***head” but hear me out. This is a problem relative to deforestation and paper mills.
If you have a resort paid for by tourists and hunters, you get funding and thus a way to make money off of the land and the animals. That money ensures that the land is useful, therefore it isn’t at risk of being cleared for development, it also provides a budget for park rangers to keep track of the animals and fend off poachers.
The rangers assist in the hunting programs, keep heads on wildlife. If a species is growing too rapidly they can sell slots for hunters. If the species is low, you cut off hunters and let it regrow. If the population is healthy, you let a few hunters pay their few thousand dollars and get their stupid trophy. Even better, if you have skilled rangers, you can keep tabs on the older/unhealthy/violent animals and have the hunters take those out instead, sparing the more healthy herd.
We like to think of elephants as gentle giants but occasionally some of them have a temperament or are getting too old for their own good. Poachers and hunters don’t tend to care what their targets are. So if we can get them to take on the misfits that won’t do the herd any good, it’ll be better for their species as a whole.
As for the meat and ivory. Charge the hunters extra to keep it. If they don’t want it, sell it and use it. Ivory goes for a lot in China (Many unhealthy animal products do…); if we can use the legitimately claimed Ivory to south their demand, it will south the heavy demand answered for by poachers.
It would equal a sustained habitat that funds itself through tourism and hunting. Instead of putting all the conservation efforts on the governments of Africa, who frankly don’t care.
Thanks for listening.
Ivan, perhaps theoretically but ethically nature’s purpose doesn’t fit your ideal of save enough elephants today to have to kill for tomorrow. The older male elephant keeps the young inexperienced males from passing on any inferior genes to the species, he didn’t get that old without being a wizened survivor. Who decides when you are too old for your own good, belonging to another species (one that is a total user) occupying this finite planet? Therefore in nature there are no ‘misfits’ which applies to all animal species except one, the human animal. Again, who decides when u are “too old for ur own good or are a misfit & would be better eliminated for the good of the human species. Like u & ur fellow humans, each animal is an individual who doesn’t want to die for the good of species, e.g. the human herd of 8 billion. A herd projected to expand ad infinitum, to 10 billion by 2050 & 15 billion by end of this century, fools that they are obsessed w/ how to ‘control’ non-human animal populations? At the very least, may I suggest that may you, “Live well, Laugh often, Leave soon.”
Who decides when u are too old for your own good, belonging to another species (one that is a total user) occupying this finite planet?
Was it necessary for Mike Soszynski to refer to Botha’s death as ‘unfortunate’ regardless of the wanton deaths of Botha’s countless victims just bc he seems to feel it necessary to empathize w/ a species that more closely resembles himself? Botha was a killer on the loose, who accidentally bit the dust in the act committing another one of his crimes Am asking Mr. Soszynski, if Botha’s victims had been human instead of animal, would he still refer to Botha’s demise as ‘unfortunate?’
M Leybra– thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share. Your comment is something that did give me pause. Indeed, while writing this article I considered the speciesism inherent in so much other news coverage of this story. The stories and writers clearly valued the life of human animals over elephants. I attempted to address that in this article and to give the elephant that lost its life more of a focus, while also telling the story of the hunter.
I believe any loss of life is unfortunate and that was what I was trying to communicate. I think life is beautiful and such an incredible treasure and should be respected and cherished as best as possible.
Thanks again for reading and sharing,
Mike
SHUT DOWN PERMANENTLY these “Botha” rackets — this despicable hobby of slaughtering magnificent, intelligent animals for the pleasure of being entertained MUST STOP! — This pastime of killing animals should be MADE ILLEGAL — society finds this horror unacceptable!
The names are the same, however according to news media (NY Post, May 22, 2017) the elephant was not killed, only wounded & George Ragozin who runs a Game Ranch & was a friend of Theunis Bothais is vowing to track down & kill the wounded elephant (who inadvertently fell on his friend after being shot) who’s “responsible” for killing his friend.
That is interesting, thanks again M Leybra. I had read in the New York Times (5/22/2017) that the elephant was killed — https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/world/africa/elephant-theunis-botha.html?_r=1
In reply to that comment ,I’m glad he’s dead he shouldn’t be even shooting a beautiful beast like the elephant so like i said before he deserves to die all the trophy hunters do making loads of money to sacrifice animals x
There is nothing unfortunate about a murderer being murdered by his victim. HIS KARMA WAS INSTANT and will save many animals lives now.
Sorry that this man had to die for people to wake up! I don’t wish anyone dead. My understanding is that the elephant charged him lifting him up with his trunk when one of the mans employees shot the elephant. The elephant being shot with the man wrapped in his trunk fell forward over his knees and crushed the game hunter. I’ll bet the employee wishes he didn’t shoot the elephant trying to save his owner. He would have had a better chance being thrown to the ground by the elephant.
I suppose I’ should feel bad for the dead hunter, but I’m not. He got his just reward.
You have to be a real coward to do this to a beautiful helpless animal. This is no hunting and these pieces of sh*t are no hunters. They use dogs to lure their prey right to them. Any kind of hunting is bad enough. They are scum who need to get a life and do something productive with their money. I hope they are hunted someday and get the same fate that they gave these innocent animals. What a disgrace!
There is justice in this world
Glad he’s dead. He deserves it and all the rest who kill these innocent animals.
Using the excuse of conservation as an excuse for trophy hunting is the stupidest thing ever. If these trophy hunters truly cared to help in the conservation of these animals they would simply donate the money needed to help the situation, not pay big money to then kill the animal that need protection.
Hunting these animals is unnecessary and disgusting.
Guess he zigged when he shoulda zagged. Sorta karmic.
Too bad they couldn’t save the ….elephant…..the hunter is exactly where he deserves to be. What goes around comes around!!!! I do feel for his children though as it’s not their fault their father was a killer of defenseless animals.
God has a sense of humor……….oh wait, he was a father of 5 children……then I guess Karma is a f;$kin bitch!!!!!!
How wonderful ~ one less murderer in the world! Hopefully his son won’t grow up to take over his father’s place ~ or sons & daughters, however many he has. Why is it that so many killers think it is the thing to do, kill other creatures that are declining in number while human ‘kind’ keeps increasing. The ‘trophy’ killers should hunt each other.
He deserved it totally. Too bad the poor elephant only fell on him n not a couple others!
oh well……
Karma pay back in a most satisfying way!!!! Always thought ‘hunters’ were brain-dead cretins with the IQ of a plank of wood.
this is what will happen to all animals killers and abusers KARMA WILL GET YOU ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.Im glad he died at least that’s one less bastard off the planet
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, hope he suffered!
This is simply the Revenge of Mother Nature. May all the violators meet such terrible dooms
Karma, God, Mother Nature and poetic justice ruled supreme. No sympathy for any psychotic monster who kills for fun/greed.
So nice that that poor elephant took that bastards life.If there were alligators I hope they shredded that assholes body to pieces.
I also agree that he got what he deserved!! I wish more trophy hunters would get killed!
I also agree that he got what he deserved!!! I wish more trophy hunters would get killed!!
You reap what You sow!
What????? No one stripped the poor elephant of its tusks yet???? Amazing.
I’m so glad that ppl are takin an interest in this post ,trophy hunting needs to stop it ,i commented on this before an il say it again I’m glad he’s dead ,it’s like alot of ppl are saying it’s karma x
There’s justice and then there’s POETRY!
And this was the best of both; Poetic Justice!
Zimbabwe formerly was called Rhodesia, the breadbasket of Africa. And then a corrupt and incompetent dictator President Robert Mugabe took power, and killed or drove the white landowners out of the country. The problem was that the uneducated blacks had no experience operating the farms. So they had next to nothing to eat, and inflation took over the country until its currency became useless, and the blacks ran to South Africa to find work.
While Nelson Mandela was a good man and ended apartheid in South Africa, for which the world loved and respected him and gave him a Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, he had spent most of his life in prison, so he wasn’t educated. But the people in South Africa also loved him, so they made him President. But he didn’t have a clue how to run his country, so he didn’t arrange for the education of its people, so it now it is run by corrupt incompetents and crooks. So they couldn’t absorb the Zimbabweans, so today there are riots between them and the South Africans.
Because Zimbabwe is so poor, it sells its assets to rich trophy “hunters” who shoot the grazing elephants like fish in a barrel. I don’t understand why the stupid despicable trophy hunters kill the elephants, but the world loses another elephant from its family.
The best thing that can happen would be if Robert Mugabe dies, and replaced by another corrupt dictator, and if the South Africans become educated and replace their leaders with competent ones.
…because Nelson Mandela spent most of his time in prison, he was uneducated???? You need to go somewhere with that bullshit! GTFOH!!!!
How sad these beautiful animals are killed for trophies!! I suggest that these hunters reconsider their sport. It is just sickening!
If the picture of the dead elephant is the one that killed him, looks closely and there are 2 alligators or crocodiles also in the picture. What a fitting death for a man who has caused so much suffering.
Karma’s a bitch and she bit him in the ass! I TOO AM GLAD HE WAS KILLED! Obviously, this is what it takes to get significant media attention & spotlight on the disturbing hobby of wealthy humans getting off by murdering animals from other species. So sad for the elephant that lost his life. I hope more elephants fall on their “trainers” or the brain-dead “trophy hunters”. And to say that this type of hunting stops poaching! Ridiculous! Poachers are doing it for the money, not paying money to hunt legally.
Karma bit him in the ass
I’m glad he died the trophy king it serves him right ,killing a big beautiful beast like the elephant ,i hate the way these creatures are killed but it keeps happening again an again ,will it ever get stopped i realy hope so x
So glad that Theunis Botha is dead. Wished it happened sooner. Now his little boy does not have a father. Was it all worth it?
I am with you on this…These people who kill for fun and adventure are worthless piece of crap who deserve to die!!!
This senseless killing of elephants and wild life needs to stop at all cost!!
I am so glad this piece of shit is dead. Too bad it could not have happened to all these other fierce hunters. They all need to be wiped off the face of the earth. Low level cowards! Kill, kill is all humans know or want to do. I have gotten where I hate most members of the human race and prefer to be in the company of animals.
I may sound as bad as the “Trophy King”, BUT this is the irony of what Poetic Justice means. Hopefully, he had time for a revealing last thought. If he did, I’m sure he was crushed.
@ Julie Fowles A-Men Julie!
Couldn’t agree with you more!!!!