Ricky Gervais blasts trophy hunters trying to excuse 'grim sport' by saying they 'provide a service'

[Sousuke 1,214]

Lions are an apex predator. They shouldn't need to be culled unless their food sources are collapsing.

[BaronB 42]

Just buy a ticket? Expedia?

If you mean paying hundreds of thousand of dollars that is not worth it. Well to most.

Like any other past time, some people spend a lot more than others.

As I understand it these are animals that would be culled anyway, so might as well make the money.

No, there is no need to "cull" endangered species. If you are really interested, I suggest you contact the relevant authorities, they will be happy to inform you that certain animals are not available, not at any price. Unless you are willing to commit a criminal offense, but that is that your own business.

Please google the resorts I listed, they are very good. They would be happy to answer you questions.

[Pooky 3,348]

I have no problem with killing animals for subsistence needs, where alternate sources of food are unavailable.

Killing animals in self Defence, although tolerable, is a mark of human stupidity, for getting into the life-threatening situation in the first place.

Killing for conservation? Killing for money? Killing for sport? These are all barbaric, cruel and offensive, whether the targets are big, or small.

[Boiler 43,459]

So no burgers

[eieio 1,594]

My dream hunt would be going to Africa and shooting as many Hyenas as they would let me. I read you can get a tag for one of them for around 300 bucks.

Oh…forgot….That would be for sport only

[Dakine10 5,452]

My dream hunt would be going to Africa and shooting as many Hyenas as they would let me. I read you can get a tag for one of them for around 300 bucks.

Oh…forgot….That would be for sport only

They should set up one with just humans. Pay $50,000 or so and just hunt each other. Last one standing gets to take a selfie and a free ticket to the next one. Probably couldn't do much better than that for conservation.

Edited April 24, 2015 by Dakine10

[Merrytooth 5,748]

They should set up one with just humans. Pay $50,000 or so and just hunt each other. Last one standing gets to take a selfie and a free ticket to the next one. Probably couldn't do much better than that for conservation.

Like the Hunger Game movies?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Like the Hunger Game movies?

Sure, like the hunger games where all the participants are jerks.

[GandD 5,966]

Sure, like the hunger games where all the participants are jerks.

You've been on your A game lately sir. Congratulations.

[Dakine10 5,452]

You've been on your A game lately sir. Congratulations.

You missed all the fun.

[GandD 5,966]

You missed all the fun.

Oh I read it all. Usually I start to reply or +1 people and then stop short because people take notes on me then I have to hear about it. This is one of those types of stories that makes me want to punch people in the face. Who hunts a giraffe? Frickin' get handle on your life ya know?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

perhaps one should read this before making an opinion.

http://conservationmagazine.org/2014/01/can-trophy-hunting-reconciled-conservation/

I see you went with the first article you found under the Google search - trophy hunting as conservation ;-)

Just wondering what your personal opinion on the subject is.

I ask because you've spent a lot of time ducking and diving in this thread, mocking the opinions of others without once offering your own. You've even done it in the quoted post above, suggesting that the opinions of people who object to this sort of trophy hunting are somehow ignorant and that you are read up on the subject by posting the first article that came up in a google search. Youve not even offered up anything from the link you posted.

I can give you a few reasons off the bat why I disagree with it:

1) Its pointless. If you are committed to conservation why not donate the money directly. Charity rather than a business transaction. Imagine that.

2) Its elitist. It says there's one rule for rich westerners and another for everyone else.

3) Its connected to poaching - don't want to pay a few hundred thousand dollars? You can find a guy who knows a guy who will set you up with a private safari hunt for a mere £20k in his back pocket.

4) How do you know that the money spent on these hunts is actually used for conservation?

In many ways this whole situation reminds me of what rich westerners were up to during the World Wars - buying the national heritage of countries like Egypt (google search the art collection of William Randolph Hearst) - money which was used to directly buy weapons.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

This exactly.

All these side arguments about the good it does towards conservation - just donate the $45k if you're really that passionate and wealthy enough for it. If you're happy that the meat goes to local villagers - send them food aid instead. If you're concerned about an old bull spreading disease in a herd - tranquillise it and put it down humanely, instead of with an arrow to the face. And last of all, don't pose proudly next to a corpse like you're Ed Gein. It's just completely shameless and revelatory of an unnecessary death. The over-privileged blood-crazed proponents of trophy hunting will argue these points - that somehow, their desire to senselessly kill brings good to the world, that it may even be a necessary act - until they are blue in the face to try and detract from the real point of it; which is that actively enjoy murdering a sentient being that cannot defend itself in equal terms.

As I say the ends are at odds with the means.

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Sure, like the hunger games where all the participants are jerks.

Can we start with VJers?

[Dakine10 5,452]

Can we start with VJers?

I can think of a few.