Unless you've been living under a rock, chances are you've heard about the killing of Zimbabwe's "most famous lion" last month, perpetrated by Walter Palmer, an American dentist who reportedly payed $55,000 for the hunt. Let me preface by saying I am a huge animal lover. I have grown up with pets my entire life and have just graduated from an environmental science degree where a large part of the course focussed on animal conservation. When I initially heard about this case, my skin crawled. I have been lucky enough to have visited Africa and go on safari back in 2010, and seeing these magnificent animals roam around in the wild all around me was easily one of the most spiritually rewarding experiences of my life thus far. I remember the moment our group was having lunch in one of the lodges and we got word that a lion had been spotted near the gates. We jumped straight in the truck and went to look for it. About 5 minutes later I glanced over my shoulder and out of the window and saw this majestic lioness on the precipice of a rise about 50 meters from the van. It was a beautiful sight that has stayed with me and has most definitely left its mark on me and my view of the animal kingdom. So naturally when I first heard that about Cecil being killed, two thoughts naturally came to me. The first was the obvious reaction, "that's disgusting, who could do such a thing?", and secondly "What is so special about THIS lion? Surely this happens all the time." Obviously these two thoughts are conflicting, but on deeper reflection, the first is a purely emotional response whereas the second is an entirely rational and more considered reaction. After seeing how the story has developed, my question is still yet to be answered. It baffles me just how much this story has been blown out of proportion by the news media and also the mass public who have so willingly lapped it up. I have a couple of major issues with the framing of this story which I will briefly discuss below.
1. The sensationalist portrayal of Cecil
This one is of course no surprise. We live in the 21st century, a time where nearly EVERYTHING in the news is designed to either scare, excite or confuse the public. Sensationalism is far from exclusive to this story, but this has taken it to a whole new level in my eyes. First of all the labelling of Cecil as "famous" by the west. I'm sure Cecil never asked for this title, nor wanted it. In fact, a large part of the framing of why we should care about this animal was placed in the fact that he was well known and beloved. But how many in the west knew or cared for Cecil before the shooting? He was certainly well loved in Zimbabwe, and by the Oxford University department tracking and studying him. But aside from that, my guess is there weren't too many who cared deeply for him outside of his home country. But after a week or so of forcing this story on us day after day, every man and his dog suddenly became his biggest fan and a bonafide "expert" on the case, despite not being there and before any legal proceedings or statements had been issued. Why aren't the 96 other lions that are poached each year being given the same treatment? Or how about the 100,000 African elephants that have been killed in the last 3 years for their ivory? The answer is simple - the media needs to make it relatable and marketable. Statistics aren't relatable, a singular "famous" animal with a cute name is. It sells newspapers. This can be extrapolated far beyond this story. It is indicative of any problem in society today. The problem with this is, even though it gets people talking and debating in depth about the incident, the overall result is not usually a significant change in the status quo but simply people looking to point the finger at one person - in this case Walter Palmer. As much as I believe the dentist should be held accountable for any illegal activity he engaged in (if there was any), I think it achieves absolutely nothing to victimise him to the point of being named "the most hated man in America". Yet it is crystal clear that this is the media's agenda. It is time for us all to wake up and educate ourselves on the issue of big game hunting, determine whether there is a problem, and then tackle it from its roots. We can not hope to do this if we are continually seduced and divided by the media.2. The hypocrisy of the case
I know, I know, I'm hardly discussing anything here that hasn't been brought up thousands of times before. But it needs to be reinforced. I really don't understand how any meat-eating westerner can be outraged by the killing of Cecil. And before you say "hunting for food is different than hunting for pleasure", I want you to consider whether there is actually much difference between the two. Hunting and eating animals as a source of food, it could easily be argued, is completely unnecessary in this day and age, especially for affluent westerners. It is an indulgence and a choice. So in fact, I would argue that hunting for food IS hunting for pleasure. The facts and science on this issue are as clear as day. Vegetarians and vegans can obtain EVERY vital nutrient they need from plant-based sources. They are also responsible for a drastically lower carbon footprint than meat-eaters, with 75% of total nitrogen and carbon emissions in agriculture coming from the rearing of livestock. It also requires a lot more land than arable farming as feed must be grown in addtion simply to feed farm animals. And then there's the ethical debate. A single lion can be shot and killed instantly and cause universal outrage, but caged chickens and pigs can have their legs broken and be forced to continue feeding to make them as fat as possible, all the while being kept in pens and cages barely big enough to accommodate them. Yes I know we all eat free range nowadays, but nonetheless, the meat industry can never be 100% ethical. It will probably shock anyone reading this to hear that I'm not actually vegetarian or vegan (although I am seriously considering it), but the fact is I am only really blaming meat-eaters who were outraged by Cecil's killing. If you can justify eating meat to yourself, then that is your personal choice and one should not be condemned for it. All I would like is for people to see things fairly and rationally, realising that every sentient life is worth something, whether it is a cow or a lion.
Those are my two main issues with the case of Cecil the lion. I am not condoning what Walter Palmer did, and it still upsets me to think about how this beautiful animal met his end. I am simply trying to see this incident in the context of the time in which we live. There is so much pain and death in the world that needs to be talked about and tackled by intelligent people growing up in this limitless time of opportunity. Don't waste your precious time succumbing to the media's constant brainwashing. Instead try to consider everything holistically and live a life where you can influence people by spreading the truth. Only then can we go about making a better world.
