African Outfitter is an independent bimonthly publication promoting
fair hunting and ethical business practices within the hunting industry.
From a hunting perspective, the preservation of biodiversity on the
African continent is the first and foremost priority. The emphasis
is however also on the sustainable utilisation of wildlife.

African Outfitter Back Issues: CONTENTS - February / March 2008 - (Vol 3/2)

Animal rights and the hunter – A South African perspective

We read African Outfitter as it is informative and entertaining, and we enjoy content that shares the experiences of others, new developments and good old hunting stories with the reader. It is easy to believe all is good and well in our hunting world and we would continue to hunt for time to come.

All, however, is not well. The hunter has become the target of forces bigger than you could possibly imagine. Forces that want to put a stop to any form of sustainable utilisation of wildlife – and hunting is at the top of their list. Is this broad statement just smoke or is there a real fire fuelling it? Read on and decide for yourself.

There are many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating under the banner of "Environmental", "Animal Welfare" or simply "Animal Rights" groups. It is very important to understand the difference between them. True environmental groups understand the importance of, to put it plainly, looking after Earth and its natural resources. True animal welfare groups, as the name suggests, understand the interaction between man and animal. This includes the utilisation of animals, but they ask that we treat animals with respect (be careful of the word humanely) and that we do not inflict unnecessary pain or suffering upon animals we eat, breed or use for recreation. These are simple and noble values to cultivate in any society and these organisations deserve our support. Animal rights groups, however, are a whole different kettle of fish and the names they use to describe themselves often lead to confusion as to what their real motives are.

Who are these NGOs and how do they operate? Possibly the biggest international animal rights group in the world is The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). With an annual (tax free) income of US $125/R900 million for the 2005 calendar year, they have by far the biggest global budget, and, on face value, appear to spend it in the interest of direct benefit to animals in distress.

When one looks closely at their financial statements (available on the internet) however, a different picture emerges. Firstly, it is important to understand where these millions come from. It is well known that animal rights groups will use any incident involving an animal in distress to solicit funds from a generally uninformed and gullible public (remember the Brits baby elephants, Pilanesberg elephants and even Tony Yengeni's bull-slaughtering episode), even going so far as to fabricate scenes of animal abuse. Research has shown that the vast majority of their income is from well-heeled, middle-aged to elderly women, who are easily preyed upon using emotionally charged material, typically using slogans such as "Save the African Elephant!"

The HSUS managed to spend $19/R139 million on salaries, $22/R157 million on administrative...

(This article has been abbreviated. Read the full article in African Outfitter, Vol 3/2, February / March 2008)