Newsletter 130
31/03/16
Sylvester the Lion
Hello Friends
Once again a male lion is receiving global
attention. Like Cecil the lion, this lion also has a name, he is
called Sylvester.
As I wrote in a previous newsletter, once he has
a name, people can relate to him. Like Cecil, Sylvester is a
magnificent specimen and like Cecil, he is under pressure and in
danger of losing his life (Cecil did lose his life to an American
hunter).
People can relate to a magnificent animal running
for his life, pursued by people, trucks and helicopters. In short,
Sylvester is the underdog and millions of people around the world
are determined that he should be caught, but not killed.
I have seen criticism leveled at the National
Parks. However, they have tried their level best. Firstly, it is SAN
Parks who put the lion there in the first place. It is not their
fault that he has been unable to capture a territory. Once a male
lion is under pressure from other males, there is no fence in the
world that will hold him.
Sylvester has escaped twice, so he has learnt
about fences. He was captured before from a helicopter, so he will
be difficult to capture again.
If he hides in the mountains during the day, then
he will be difficult to spot. If the Vet can get a dart into him,
but there is no place to land, then people will have to go in on
foot to find him. This will be dangerous especially it the dart
malfunctions. If he does go down, at least 10 men will be needed to
carry him out.
Conservationists will argue that SAN Parks have
already spent R800 000 on capturing Sylvester. This money could be
far better spent on more important conservation issues. They are
correct.
If I take Sylvester, it will cost me in excess of
R2 million to set him free. This money, it could be argued, should
go into a more endangered species like the Tiger. (Tiger number
about 1 500 in the wild, lions number about 30 000)
While chaos swirls around Sylvester's head and
while SAN Parks battle to capture him, the canned lion hunters watch
on with amusement. Why not capture the lion, give it to them and
they will allow an overseas hunter to shoot it in a canned hunt for
$50 000. Under this scenario, the problem is gone and money can be
made, not lost.
In my world, it is amazing to me the emotion that
Cecil and Sylvester are able to create worldwide. I truly believe
that at last some human beings are evolving into a caring, sharing
species.
I have seen in the last decade countries ban
circus acts with wild animals in them. The zoos are coming under
more and more pressure. Hunting is under the microscope and canned
lion hunting has been described as a cancer to be eradicated by the
South African Government sooner than later. The groundswell which
has engulfed both Cecil and Sylvester, is an indicator that human
attitudes are changing on Planet Earth.
For the record, if SAN Parks gives me Sylvester,
I must fence and stock an area of 2000 hectares. Here Sylvester can
be the dominant male (He will have no competition).
This will cost in excess of R2 million which I
intend to raise through the Tigress Julie Foundation. It is at this
point that it will be revealed how many people actually want to help
Sylvester the lion.
Tread lightly on the Earth
JV
Cruelty Status:
Thanks you for your responses to the cruelty
status idea:
Hi John, Great idea - cruelty status. Instead
of just points, we should categorize every country and publish
it every year. Countries with low scores should be made to feel
ashamed and tourism should drop.
90 - 100 points - Great, Wonderful and
Civilized nation - Highly respected people who cares for
every other living being
75 - 90 points - Civilized nation -
There's scope to improve
50-75 points - Average - Civilized nation
- lot of scope to improve
25 - 50 points - Unsatisfactory -
Uncivilized nation - attempting to progress
0 - 25 points - Unsatisfactory -
Uncivilized nation. Very unsafe for everyone including
humans
As the great mahatma said "The greatness
of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are
treated"
Regards
Siva Baskaran
JV
This is an absolutely brilliant
idea - but don't hold your
breath waiting for the UN to
respond. However, it doesn't
have to be done by the UN - and
might actually have more weight
in some quarters if it wasn't
related to the UN. From my
perspective, the key question is
whether there would be some way
to quantify the information to
make an index non-arbitrary. If
there is, as a quant, I'm more
than willing to comb through
whatever data would be available
to help put together such an
index.
Rich
Tread Lightly on The Earth
John Varty
