Home

 

Musango Bull Elephant Shot Dead

The bull as he was depicted in a recent painting by Larry Norton

The bull as he was depicted in a recent painting by Larry Norton

There are two pictures here. The one is a painting of the “Musango” Bull Elephant by well known artist Larry Norton, and the other is a photograph taken by Garth Thompson, one of Africa’s best known professional guides.


 Musango Bull Elephant
Musango Bull & a guest from Bumi Hills in Nov 2009
photographed by Garth Thompson

Two facts emerge from these pictures. The first is the extraordinary beauty and size of this elephant and the second is that it is so patently obvious that this is a gentle creature, allowing anybody to approach it closely.

Musango is also wearing a clearly visible satellite tracking collar. Indeed, Roger Parry having been given authority by National Parks to dart this elephant, was able to easily get within a few meters of it before firing the dart.

This elephant was estimated to have another 15-20 years of life ahead of it.

He is now dead.

He was shot around the 23rd of May, 2010 by a professional hunting organization in the Omay North area, adjacent to Lake Kariba. This hunter did nothing illegal, according to existing law within Zimbabwe. It is not illegal to shoot a collared animal (unless specially protected by the minister). But the international and local reaction to the ethical and moral issues involved in this incident has been overwhelming.

Accordingly the aim of this petition is twofold;

1.
To request the authorities, once the Minister has given special protection status to any animal, to take immediate and proactive steps to inform all hunters and hunting institutions of such protected status. The Musango Bull was regarded by many as part of Zimbabwe’s national heritage, and is now gone.

2. To get the ZPHA to define their own ethical and moral standards in relation to collared animals, and specifically this elephant, and to fully investigate, with independent observers, in situ the killing of the Musango Bull.

How to support? E-mail us at info@victoriafalls-guide.net
and we will forward you the petition by email to sign and return showing your support.

Comments for Musango Bull Elephant Shot Dead

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 13, 2010
the king
by: Anonymous

I hate hunters,we should hunt these guys,pure greed, they know what they have done and were not expecting such an outcry,justice needs to be dished out especially to the client

Jun 14, 2010
MUSANGO
by: Anonymous

very sad, hunting generates money for conservation, but where does money become obsessive?

Jun 22, 2010
Musango Bull
by: Matt

I found your email address on a website detailing the killing of the "Musango Bull" who is apparently a national heritage?

Myself and many others who have grown up in Zimbabwe in and around the hunting community have never heard of this bull.

The real outrage concerning the killing of this bull is the decrease in revenue for photographic safaris in the area. The hunter in question did nothing wrong legally or ethically.
Research on an animal such as this has to take into account all forms of mortality, the primary reason for a collar that is not brightly coloured is to remove the possibility of the collar changing the many various aspects that determine the mortality of the animal. With a bull living so close to a hunting concession, one of these aspects is clearly hunting. Any collar that detracts from the animals studied lifestyle in its predetermined areas is not beneficial to any scientific study.

This entire scenario has been blown out of proportion. It was just another bull on quota.

Jun 25, 2010
Greed
by: Anonymous

The bull had 20 years of life and genes ... and great photo ops for high value tourists.... paying 5000- 10000 a trip so that is all blown away for the $$ ONCE that the Great White Hunter paid, a brave hunter who can?t see a radio collar in his sights that you can see in a camera lens.

Zimbabwe's brainless greed and the great white hunter's callous brutality.

Aug 09, 2010
Saddened
by: Anonymous

This is a sad, sad story. Having just returned from a trip to Kenya and Tanzania, I can attest to the thrill of seeing these majestic animals in the wild. I can imagine, then, how much the Musango bull will be missed in Zimbabwe. It's sad to think that all some individuals can do when they see such a magnificent creature is to shoot it.

Sep 06, 2010
'Greed killed this Elephant'
by: Zimbo-Mukiwa

VERY TRAGIC & DISAPPOINTING!
The PH would have been fully and well aware of this particular elephant roaming in and out of his area as he frequently moved through the areas surrounding Bumi Hills. I believe that is why he was shot, greed! If this pro hunter had any interest in protecting wildlife other than for the reason of hunting purposes he would have wanted to protect this 'last of the big tuskers' and would have saved his life. The tusks where long and slender, not that big in a true hunters eyes!
It is the normal story, 'who cares attitude' as long as I am seen getting good trophies for my clients, what the heck, I shot it in the 'hunting Area' I am protected!

It is interesting how suddenly many 'big tuskers' are been shot in the name of hunting lately in Zimbabwe. Is this 'conservation' today?
Once gone, always gone!
This is a perfect example of what has become of Zimbabwe's Hunting and sadly some of its Pro Hunters today.
When will all this end?

Click here to add your own comments



Click here to return to Wildlife conservation.

 

[Top of Page]



Download this 100% FREE Travel Guide with all things Victoria Falls


THE VIC FALLS BUSH TELEGRAPH
our Bi-Monthly E-Newsletter

Each issue has a destination update, loads of information about conservation and wildlife, specials offers, traveller tips, community projects, website highlights and tons more...

Find out more about our Bush Telegraph

"Your newsletter keeps me informed about new and old and is the best I've seen in a long while - informative, not commercial, just plain perfect!"  - I.Skliros

Don't worry. Your e-mail address is totally secure. I promise to use it only to send you The Vic Falls Bush Telegraph.

 

 


Return to our home page




Download this 100% FREE Travel Guide with all things Victoria Falls




Powered by SBI!

Copyright© 2008 - Tony and Boo Peel. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.