I watched the film last night - it's for sale and rent on Amazon Video.
My thoughts -
A few exchanges resonated with me, and I feel that there was an opportunity to dive deeper into a couple of issues. One such moment was when the gentleman from "Born Free" during his debate with John Hume - the rhino rancher - talks about a vision of nature as "contained, confined, commercialized and counterfeit" if Hume, and others like him, are able to monetize the wildlife.
I've got news for him. Whether you monetize the wildlife to a greater degree or not, the containment, confinement, commercialization of the wild lands has already happened and will continue to accelerate due to staggering demographic trends. In 1950, the population of the continent was 229 million people. In 1990, it was 630 million people. Today, it is over 1.2 billion people . . . average age - 19.5 years old. There are twice as many people in Africa today compared with less than 30 years ago competing for the same resources - and they are young.
Go to any national park or reserve in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, SA and to a lesser extent Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe and you already see the encroachment of people into traditional bush country in irreversible ways, and plenty of locals peddling cheap trinkets a notch below what you'd find at Disney World. With the exception of maybe Botswana, these parks don't exist as true wilderness areas today like they did even 30 years ago. And unlike deer in the US, the animals that spill over into the growing towns and villages are apex predators or massive creatures that have the potential to kill people and destroy property.
Chris Moore, the anti-poaching officer in Zimbabwe was an absolute star to me, because he had empathy for the local people and the animals. It's very easy from the comfort of our homes and offices in the West to say that Africans should protect lions, elephant and the rest of the amazing wildlife their continent is blessed with. It's a harder argument when you consider the subsistence farmer who has just had his or her field destroyed by elephant, his cattle killed by lion, or a child killed by hippo. They want just as much a life for themselves and their family as we do. They want food on the table, a roof over their head, and some measure of peace, comfort and happiness. Quite frankly, most that I've met in my travels - outside of the tourist hubs - don't give a damn about the animals unless they benefit themselves, their families or their communities. The movie spent some time on this point, and I feel you could dive way deeper into the challenges the average rural African faces each day and how that puts pressure on the wildlife.
The other main issue that I would have liked to see addressed is the demand for illicit goods. Where does it come from? To watch the movie, you'd almost think Americans and Canadians were grinding horn. China, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam dominate the rhino horn trade, and that was not touched upon to any degree. Those lands, with the exception of Japan, are all getting richer. We can wish that a few billion people suddenly decide that rhino horn isn't medicinal, but it is pure fantasy to truly believe that demand is going to stop any more than we think American's will stop drinking alchohol. Asia has money . . . and growing power. Their beliefs and preferences will dominate the next 100 years like Europeans and Americans have the last few hundred.
Last point, when there is a ban, criminals always will move in to fill the vacuum. Look at prohibition in the USA ... Conservationists (and I include hunters in that group) need to decide if they want to deal with John Hume, rhino rancher or a local 15 year old kid with no education poaching with a rusty old Kalashnikov.
As for me, I couldn't hunt elephant or a lion for that matter. That's one of many lines for me. But some people will, and I have no issue with that if it is done with the health and vitality of the population in mind. And history and human nature proves that when you put a price on a head, it adds immediate value to the communities that have to live with those animals. A farmer may be glad for the poacher that kills off an elephant - or all of them for that matter - but he may think very differently if his village has now lost tens of thousands of dollars or revenue. It's a tough issue.
As for your part
@Philip Glass - wow, you put yourself out there in a way I wouldn't have the courage to do, and I think you represented hunters well. I'll include you and your family in my prayers, because it's a safe bet you are going to feel a lot of heat.
And that other hunter, enough has been said about him, but he did offer a contrast to Mr. Glass and let's face it - guys like him do exist.
Overall, it was a great movie. Tough to watch in places but well worth the time and - I think - mostly fair.
