Dear all , Have not had time to deal with this matter until now . Yes , there is no doubt that lion numbers have decreased , throughout their range , over the past 48 years that I have been hunting throughout Africas game fields . This is due almost entirely to expanding human populations , eroding wildlife habitat . The more people you have , the more needs they have from land . Often this land need extends into wilderness habitat , with resulting slash and burn agriculture , and even worse , large herds of cattle that displace wild animals , and lead to human / wildlife conflict . Invariably it is the wildlife and destroyed habitat that comes off worst . Cattle people and bush encroachment is what has led to lion numbers huge decline . Regulated hunting has had little to do with this decline . After all , lion hunting is LICENCED . Every lion hunted on licence is recorded . Recordings of lions hunted are maintained .Killing of lion by cattle people is unregulated , uncontrolled , and NO RECORDS kept ! Lion carcasses are simply thrown away into the bush by cattle herders, for the vultures and hyenas to consume. Worst of all is the methods used by cattle people to destroy lion - mass poisoning of kills , capable of destroying complete prides , and any other creature tempted to feed on the carcass . This poison is easily available as cattle dip , and contains arsenic , from which there is no recovery . Legal hunters are managers of wildlife . Their wellbeing depends on a viable and sustainable wildlife resource . This is quite different to a poacher , who is simply a thief set on quick return , or a cattle herder , to whom the only good lion is a dead one ! My warning to those who would attempt to stop sport hunting of lion - do so knowing that you will remove the one custodian of wilderness whose very livelihood depends in no small part to a viable lion population . Remember that MOST of Africa's lion population live outside of national parks , and that it is the professional hunter who is custodian of these areas . Remove the hunter and he will be replaced by slash and burn agriculture , unchecked cattle herds and poachers bent on destruction of any wildlife for a quick and easy return . I say having a licenced hunter in the bush outside of National Parks is the better option . Closing of lion hunting would make hunting blocks much less viable in countries such as Tanzania ,putting some operators out of business , resulting in a melt down of hunting blocks and wildlife habitat , not only destroying lion country , but ruining the home of every other form of life ie birds , small mammals ,reptiles apart from big game . Robin Hurt Nairobi KENYA
PS please send out to those who you think would be interested to hear the hunters view on conservation . Remember the wry CONSERVATION means wise use and stewardship . It does not mean total protection .
