http://allafrica.com/stories/2...e=nwsltr-wildlife-en

Activists and a Zimbabwean conservation group have launched an appeal for $35 000 to have a statue made of Cecil the Lion.

But the appeal has already prompted questions about whether the money wouldn't be better spent on wildlife protection.

"Cecil's memory will live on forever through this statue of a truly incredible beast that didn't deserve to die and suffer at the hands of lawless, murdering thugs," said Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force head Johnny Rodrigues in a statement.

"Let's keep his memory alive."

The planned statue would be made out of light steel by metal sculptor John Binda.

Cecil was killed in early July by US dentist Walter Palmer in an illegal hunt. His killing sparked global outrage but has left many Zimbabweans - who had never heard of Cecil - bemused.

Rodrigues told News24 on Thursday that he wanted to negotiate with government officials to have Cecil's statue placed in Hwange National Park, where the lion lived prior to his death.

He said if the authorities failed to have it erected there, it would be placed in a museum, likely in Harare, for safekeeping.

But readers of the Zimbabwe National Parks and Game Reserves Facebook group have posted their reservations about the planned statue, with one calling it "a ridiculous waste of money".

"A statue doesn't benefit anyone," wrote another reader, while one man suggested the money be used instead to buy diesel for water pumps to provide desperately needed drinking water for game in the park.

About 100 elephants died during a drought in the park in 2011, while as many as 400 died six years earlier.

The Friends of Hwange Trust also launched an appeal on Wednesday for cash for diesel donations to keep water pumps in Hwange running.

"The rains this year were patchy and erratic and the park is very dry. Although we have recently installed seven new solar systems around the main camp area, these alone cannot pump sufficient water to meet the demand," the group said.

Wonderful quote from the sculptor, John Binda, here in the BBC story about this task:

"We are going to have to be detached from the emotion and get on with the job."

Yeah, let's not get all emotional about this everyone.

Light steel=rust=corrosion=decay=typical Zimbabwean infrastructure.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Light steel=rust=corrosion=decay=typical Zimbabwean infrastructure.

...
... or American ...

<> <> <>

Hey Johnnie
Kiss my ass you ( every slanderous word I can think of) inserted here.
You've been exposed you idiot.
Dave Fulson

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Hey Johnnie
Kiss my ass you ( every slanderous word I can think of) inserted here.
You've been exposed you idiot.
Dave Fulson

Holy hell check this out...I simply cannot make this up folks:

Johnny wants "Cecil" to be put on display in a glass case at Hwange. LINK

These people need to get a grip.

"Cecil's memory will live on forever through this statue of a truly incredible beast that didn't deserve to die and suffer at the hands of lawless, murdering thugs," said Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force head Johnny Rodrigues in a statement.



Does anyone know what the sanctions that Johnny Rodrigues received from Zimbabwe amounted to?

Yep, Dave Fulson was right.

quote:

Originally posted by AilsaWheels:
"Cecil's memory will live on forever through this statue of a truly incredible beast that didn't deserve to die and suffer at the hands of lawless, murdering thugs," said Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force head Johnny Rodrigues in a statement.



Does anyone know what the sanctions that Johnny Rodrigues received from Zimbabwe amounted to?

Whatever they were, they were obviously not severe enough!

Personally I was hoping they would beat the soles of his bare feet with a cricket bat, then tie him to the back of a cruiser and make him run a few miles down a gravel road. Just for starters!

I'll send them a nice contribution if they agree to include the hunter standing next to Cecil, bow in hand.

Raise ALL they can get then spend as little as possible so they can put as much as possible in their own pockets.

Maybe we should have a statue made of Walter Palmer made up for the next DSC and SCI conventions!

What say you?

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by AilsaWheels:
"Cecil's memory will live on forever through this statue of a truly incredible beast that didn't deserve to die and suffer at the hands of lawless, murdering thugs," said Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force head Johnny Rodrigues in a statement.



Does anyone know what the sanctions that Johnny Rodrigues received from Zimbabwe amounted to?

Whatever they were, they were obviously not severe enough!

Personally I was hoping they would beat the soles of his bare feet with a cricket bat, then tie him to the back of a cruiser and make him run a few miles down a gravel road. Just for starters!

Yep.

The sanctions obviously didn't have anything to do with keeping his mouth shut.

That would be $350 for the statue (you can buy them all day long at Vic Falls), and the rest for some other "worthy" causes ...

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Fulson:
Hey Johnnie
Kiss my ass you ( every slanderous word I can think of) inserted here.
You've been exposed you idiot.
Dave Fulson

Now, would anyone please explain to me what good making a statue of a dead lion to lion conservation??

How much of this money is going to find its way into the pockets of the fat cats that run such stupid organization?

I wonder if that lion with the arrow stuck in it's side along the Berlin Wall that one of Napoleon's men shot had a name too. Impressive series of statues, sure not made of steel though.

Geor

quote:

Now, would anyone please explain to me what good making a statue of a dead lion to lion conservation??How much of this money is going to find its way into the pockets of the fat cats that run such stupid organization?

Saeed
I think your second question answered your first.

Any way to tell just how many Zimbabweans are members of the Zimbabwe Conservation Force, other than Mr. Rodrigues and a handful of his friends?

My off-the-wall guess is that the number is heck of a lot less than the number of foreigners who hunt in Zimbabwe each year.

Bill Quimby