The intensity of the feelings generated by the killing are evident in the wording of a press release in late December from the local Association for the Protection of Wildlife. The press release refers to the hunters as "poacher tourists" and "criminals against the environment" and goes on to question whether there is "...something we can call a government system in this country." In response, Lefol tells us, the government closed all hunting on the very eve of the 1999 safari season.
At press time, new legislation reopening hunting was being passed, he said, and he was expecting an official ok as this issue went to press. We hope to have an update next month. In the meantime, Lefol says the new legislation restricts hunting to three approved safari companies - his own; one devoted to birdhunting only; and a third that has been authorized to hunt what Lefol called a "small, clearly defined area." He says the new legislation should prevent a recurrence of the brouhaha that led to this year's closure. He was optimistic about the future. Immediately, though, the result has been the loss of almost an entire second season. Lefol said at press time he did not foresee being able to conduct more than one safari this year for an important European client. All the other booked........(continued)
