Perfect example of why, again, it boils down to the money. Why does it rub so many people the wrong way for others to be absolutely filthy rich? Isn't that the whole point of the American Dream? His dad was a nobody who then struck it HUGE in Texas oil and now his entire family for generations is set for life. Good on them. Who are we to say he should just whip out the check book and give away $350k to conservation? What is wrong with him wanting a hunt out of his money? His money is going to the Rhinos whether or not he went hunting, it's just their government would have never seen the money without offering up a tag first.
It does not bother me that the guy has money, it doesn't bother me he shot an endangered animal. The need for attention and the self promotion is all part of the agenda.
I think you are the one hung up on money, I could care less, I am referring more to the "look at me and what I did" for conservation. Tons of Americans donate millions (maybe billions) of dollars every year to charities without strings attached.
How many donate $350,000 no strings attached. Before you answer think about it a while. Most large monetary donations are strings attached for one reason or another.
"At this point, the whole world knows about this hunt and I think it's extremely important that people know it's going down the right way, in the most scientific way that it can possibly happen," Knowlton said after arriving in Africa. That's why he says he's doing more to save the black rhino than his critics, and why he wanted us along on this historic hunt. I ask Knowlton if he still feels that killing this black rhino was the right thing to do and that it will benefit the future of this endangered species. "I felt like from day one it was something benefiting the black rhino," Knowlton reflected just moments after the hunt ended. "Being on this hunt, with the amount of criticism it brought and the amount of praise it brought from both sides, I don't think it could have brought more awareness to the black rhino" All of the above points to someone who from the very start wanted to make it about looking at him. If it wasn't and it was just about conservation and hunting then he would be out there on his own for his own reasons. I want to know what awareness this brings to the avg person reading CNN?When even among some of us hunters we can look at it and see attention ***** that wants to justify his hunt and have people look and talk about him. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Who really cares what his personal reasons are for doing it. Clearly he's a trophy hunter, Read that he's take over 120 different species. That's the definition of a trophy hunter. We all know he's hunting it to add it to his trophy count. A lot of good can be done with that $350,000, and that's $350,000 that PETA or other animal rights activist wasn't willing to donate.
Lots of people donate more than $350,000 without strings attached. Some people with money are humble.
I guess this is a better way of stating my views. Sure he didn't just outright donate $350k to charity. Neither did you and neither did I. And why is buying a tag offered by the Namibian government making his contribution "strings attached". Shouldn't your gripe then be with the Namibian Government for offering this string in the first place? I get the look at me attitude rubbing people the wrong way, but IMO what he is saying is at least true. Bringing attention to the fact that local poachers are ANNIHILATING the rhinos and that possibly the only way to save them is through a hunting approach to conservation is a good thing. Perhaps the only way to save a species being exterminated for its black market value when the locals don't care about them is to add a real world value to the same animal where the money goes back to protecting the overall species instead of into some criminals pocket for killing it for the horn.
This was a big story before the hunt even took place so I doubt this guy had to call up CNN and say hey come along. Sure maybe he is trying to get attention for himself but what else was he supposed to talk about in the interview? Or what questions were asked to produce those answers or statements. I find it funny that everyone keeps saying why didn't he just write a check if he really wanted to help conservation. Idk why don't any of us on here just write a check to our own respective states toward conservation and stay out of the woods? Probably because no matter what reason you need to tell yourself why you hunt the truth is everyone does it to harvest a animal. The money that goes toward conservation efforts is just a bonus. Now while it's true this dude would of probably never gave someone that much money for nothing, what do I care what he does with his money. The same as anyone else. And what else does that country have to make money off of? People tend to forgot that not every place in the world is like it is here in the US. Can anyone honestly say that if whitetail deer hunting took a giant crap and say Iowa, Wisconsin, or Illinois (probably others) who makes crazy amounts of money off of deer hunting wouldn't be doin the same thing to recoup money that is no longer coming in. Meaning offering special hunts for specific animals that they deem need to be taken out of remaining herd. Back 20 or 30 years ago before hunting took off probably not, but there's been too many years and too much money coming in now to get it from somewhere else.
