A few weeks ago I read a column in the Daily Maverick – an eNewspaper with a significant circulation in South Africa – written by an ardent animal rightist, Ian Michler. It was a variation of the same tired propaganda he has been spouting for over 20 years, but what amazed me was his confession that he and his fellow travellers had no plan of any kind to substitute for the benefits that hunting has brought to conservation all around the world and to South Africa, in particular, over the last 60 years or so. I was compelled to reply to his arrant nonsense and followed it up a few days later with an article on Theodore Roosevelt, who he also denigrated in the same article. Much to my surprise, both my articles were carried unchanged by the Daily Maverick and I have attached them to my blog for your perusal and comment.
https://www.peterflack.co.za/hunting-facts-versus-animal-rights-fiction/
https://www.peterflack.co.za/theodore-roosevelt-killer-or-conservationist/
This week, another animal rightist, Don Pinnock, came out with an inflammatory article on a Kruger Park lion, which he said was “probably” called Skye, “probably” lured out of the park by an American hunter, who shot and killed it after paying “an estimated R1 million” for the privilege. It was a blatant attempt to recreate another Cecil incident that the animal rightists had been so successful with previously and again I wrote a column which was published by the Daily Maverick which showed how false every accusation was that Pinnock had made. I also attach this article on my blog.
https://www.peterflack.co.za/kruger-park-lions/
The Umbabat Private Nature Reserve where the hunt took place issued a comprehensive, factual, three page statement to the media which comprehensively unpacked each of Pinnock’s baseless allegations and showed each to be devoid of any truth whatsoever but no media outlet of which I am aware published it. I have attached a copy on my blog for those interested.
https://www.peterflack.co.za/umbabat-private-nature-reserve-media-statement/
What are the lessons, if any, that can be learnt from the above:
- Michler has been writing the same unadulterated rubbish for over 20 years and, despite being contradicted in print by such conservation heavy weights as Dr. John Hanks, previously CEO of both WWF Southern Africa and Peace Parks Foundation and Dr. John Ledger, the previous long standing CEO of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, he merely ignored their accurate, fact based criticisms and continued to spout the same tired drivel.
- In other words, there can be no point in trying to engage with people like him. It is a waste of time and effort in the mistaken belief that, if people like him were better informed, they might ameliorate their criticisms of hunting led conservation. In my humble opinion, they could not care less about the facts or conservation. Their mission is to stop the use of animals whether wild or tame and hunting is the route they have chosen because they see it as an easy target.
- People like Pinnock are quite happy to accuse sound conservation organisations like the Umbabat Private Nature Reserve of unethical if not illegal conduct on the basis of unfounded rumour, without giving them an opportunity to reply to these false allegations before the article is published.
- I believe the Michlers and Pinnocks of this world will not stop their antics unless forced to do so by someone suing them for the damage they cause and the sooner this happens the better.
Like all the comments to your piece. Agree very much with Dimitri, as I have been brooding on the ‘blood lions’ crap. I am an old school hunter who became a conservator (not the same as, but from same sort of cloth you are made of). I like very much the new PH Outfitter Body that distances itself from the ‘confused ethics’ of captive bred and breeding for trophies and colours etc. I would go to war with you anytime. Thanks for all the relief and balance you have brought in your writings. It lends much inspiration and verve to my cause. Hamba gahle
Hi – I googled you after seeing the superb collection in the CapeTown museum. I’ll ‘out’ myself as an ‘urban conservationist’ and my natural inclination would probably be to oppose hunting. However your articles have given me real food for thought about the benefits of commercial hunting. Perhaps the museum could provide a display on the subject with a personal story about you? I at least have some different facts to provide to my friends and family on my return from holiday.
Thank you so much for your note, Clare. It warmed my heart in the cold, wet days we have been enjoying here in Cape Town. The museum staff tell me that the ones who enjoy the display of the Peter Flack Collection at the Iziko Museum of South Africa in Cape Town at the top of Queen Victoria Street are the kids, even though only some 60 of the animals in my collection are currently on display. I am hopeful however given what I have been told by the museum that, once the building work there has been completed, they intend to display more of my animals in better dioramas but we will have to wait and see.
As for providing you with facts and figures concerning hunting and conservation in this country, if you email me your postal address, we will send you a copy of the award winning DVD, The South African Conservation Success Story, which addresses this precise issue in an objective and informative manner. It is narrated by the world famous, Canadian, wildlife biologist, Shane Mahoney, as well as the previous head of National Parks, Dr. David Mabunda.
Lastly, I have forwarded you note to Ms. Denise Hamerton (Curator: Terrestrial Mammals) at the museum for her information and, hopefully, action.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your email.
I had read your articles on the net four days ago.
My conclusion (just my personal opinion) is as follows:
The world is in such a state in general, that we are going downhill without brakes. We live under the grip of TPTB in everything, everything we do in our lives. And for now, there´s no escape. The whole system would have to be blown up, and that´s not going to happen… at least in the short term.
Facts, reason and truth don´t matter anymore in any discussion you might have about almost anything. Everyone has what they call their “right to opinion”, and they can say whatever they want, regardless of if it makes sense or not. Whoever has more followers in the social networks, or has a bigger backing in the mainstream media, will come out on top.
It is absolutely pointless and useless to engage in a debate with those kind of people. When it comes to hunting, with Michler, Pinnock, Loveridge or any other person involved in “animal rights”. Some ministers of countries belonging to the EU have stated that law and legislation should start to evolve towards a more “humane” world. And that includes giving animals the SAME rights as to human beings!! Go figure…
Science has been dethroned not only when it comes to hunting, but in everything in general. Only when it comes to very difficult scientific issues (like the origin of the Laws of Nature, Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Entanglement, String Theory, etc…) is where reason and facts still prevail, because they´re such difficult fields for the average person, that they can´t give any fuckin´ retarded opinion. And that´s what I like about it, and why I decided, years ago, that it would become my field of study and research. Africa as a hobby (which I´m about to abandon completely); real science as a way of living.
Facts and truth are TOTALLY on your side, but it doesn´t matter Peter. You´re crying and preaching in the wilderness. The brainwashed, manipulated masses will not even take the time to listen to you. They´re too busy searching for the new shoes that Kim Kardashian bought, or the latest nonsensical rant that a Hollywood actress said in the last couple of days.
Have a wonderful day Peter.
Best,
David
Thank you for your email, David. You echo some of the sentiments of John Holloway, Bod du Hadaway and myself. As a lawyer I have been trained to believe that, if a person makes certain allegations and they are not refuted, then the judge is entitled to the inference that those allegations may be true and so I do what I can when I read bulldust masquerading as informed opinion – I say opinion because you cannot call them facts as these articles hardly, if ever, include empirically determined, scientifically established facts.
Probably a lost cause as you say given the lack of timeous and comprehensive rebuttals from hunting and conservation organisations and this, more than anything, has given them the freedom to write what they want, when they want, about whatever they want, secure in the knowledge that no-one is going to challenge the outrageous statements they are prone to make and hence also the almost total absence of the kind of facts referred to above and the reliance on emotion and outrage. Of course, should anyone have the temerity to object, their fellow travellers are quick to jump on the social media bandwagon to threaten and insult, which has been a proven means of ensuring that these objections are kept to a minimum. But what can I do? Quite simply I cannot stand idly by while this kind of prejudiced propaganda is allowed to flourish unchallenged.
Kind regards,
Peter Flack
Exactly. In fact the way to go is to take DM on as they have to take responsibility for lies. DM should remove the article and suspend them. The article by Pinnock was a deliberate attempt to make a story where there was none. I get sick of these people who try to polarize people who should be on the same side.
Thanks for your comments, Bugs and good to hear from you. Personally I see things slightly differently and would not shoot the messenger in the form of Daily Maverick, which I rate as the best daily newspaper in the country and by a long chalk. They are also the first one to regularly publish articles opposing the propaganda of animal rightists and anti-hunters and I respect them for that.
On the other hand, I agree wholeheartedly with your comments on Pinnock, particularly as he did not contact the 18 000 hectare Umbabat Private Nature Reserve to confirm the information he had been given or give them an opportunity to reply. If he had, he would have been informed that the information given to him was outdated and prior to their predator game count which showed that, on only two nights of counting, three groups of lions had been spotted in the Umbabat and, as a result, a quota of one lion, out of the at least 1 800 lions in Kruger and the 180 000 hectare Associated Private Nature Reserve, of which Umbabat forms part, was granted.
This absence of journalistic rigour is par for the course however and I remember having dinner with the editor of Africa Geographic to ask for a similar opportunity of reply given their penchant for publishing Michler’s preconceived and prejudicial propaganda. He initially agreed but then refused to publish our rebuttal article saying that there were enough hunting magazines that would which, of course, was beside the point.
Hi Pete,
I catch a lot of your writing in the Daily Maverick. Again an interesting and necessary article in your latest news – and I hadn’t read the game reserve’s own story. Today an obvious thought occurred – responsible hunting is losing support and only large-scale attitudinal change will fix that. And that won’t happen.
I hope I lack information and am wrong. But Hunting is such an easy issue to exploit, as the people who consume anti-hunting propaganda are already emotionally/sentimentally primed to believe whatever’s said. And anti-hunting sentiment seems to be growing. I love your story of the recovery of SA’s wild animal numbers and the logic of why we need hunting to continue conservation. And I’ve always been disappointed that, despite all the good work done by you and others, this good hunting story hasn’t changed attitudes. Today a small penny dropped. Logic is the wrong ammo. Because the whole issue is so emotional, the good story will only be effective when it’s also been emotionally packaged. In fact, it probably has to be professionally advertised, with the objective of changing attitudes en masse. This will require lots of money and that can only, surely, come from business or government. Not hunters and conservationists. So it won’t come. The motivation isn’t there. Meanwhile, I get the impression that the anti-hunters are winning the hearts and minds battle – helped further by currently fashionable post-truth and non-logic trends. And hunters are split, politicking and frustrating – as I’ve gathered a bit from your issues with various bodies and the fact that you seem to have closed a chapter in your life on aspects of the subject. Is a virtuous circle in which tourism revenue, alone, funds a future for wildlife in southern Africa possible?
In the meantime, I think writing for big media audiences is doing a lot to spread the word. Keep it up!
All the best,
j
Thank you so much for your perceptive comments, John. I think you have analysed the situation correctly. It is why we tried so hard to establish the Fair Chase Guild, which had precisely this aim in mind and an initial budget of R1,5 million per annum for the first three years. Unfortunately, a few very narrow minded men with their own selfish, personal agendas ambushed and killed a necessary initiative which had taken 18 months to establish.
Interesting to note that not one hunting organisation in South Africa has published an article in any non-hunting media of which I am aware contradicting Michler’s or Pinnock’s articles. For example, I asked a senior member of SA Hunters, the largest and best funded hunting organisation in Africa, whether the CEO, Fred Camfer, was going to write something about Pinnock’s article and the answer was no. Beyond pathetic really as this kind of behaviour – abdication or capitulation are probably better words – merely leaves the field wide open for the animal rightists and anti-hunters to write whatever they want, whenever they want, without fear of contradiction, which probably explains why their articles are so full of emotion and outrage and so devoid of fact. They don’t have to be because no-one takes them to task and, when they do, they get their camp followers to threaten them and that seems to do the trick.
And if our major hunting organisations are not going to do this, you have to ask yourself what is the point of belonging to them and paying your subscriptions. If they cannot defend hunting, let alone promote it, what in Heaven’s name are they doing?
Dear Peter
Like many others, I was disappointed that, following the rug being pulled from under the Fair Chase Guild, you decided to resign from various hunting associations, give up hunting and sell your firearms and hunting literature. I felt that the hunting industry had lost one of it’s most passionate, learned and articulate spokespersons. Not to mention that I had always enjoyed your hunting articles.
Not that you ever said you would no longer defend hunting. It did seem, however, that you would be far less involved and less vocal on hunting related matters. And yet, I knew that it would not be easy to contain the tremendous passion that you obviously have for hunting and conservation. I suspected that, at some point, one of hunting’s foremost unofficial spokespersons and eloquent corrector of half-truths and blatant anti-hunting lies would return to doing what he has done so well for so many years. Your two recent opinion pieces (Hunting facts versus animal rights fiction; and Theodore Roosevelt – Killer or Conservationist?) published in the Daily Maverick as well your letter to the editor of that publication (Kruger Lions: Who really cares about conservation?) were masterfully written. Logical, factual and clearly debunking the nonsense spewed by Michler and Pinnock.
Thank you for writing those pieces, for still standing up for hunting and for doing it so well.
All the best.
Dimitri Psaros
Thank you so much for your email and kind words, Dimitri. Much appreciated, Peter