Botswana Lion Debacle

First, though, it is worth noting that Botswana has a sizeable anti-hunting contingent and that lions are a "sensitive" animal in Botswana. Predictably, a veritable firestorm of criticism has erupted around the McFarlane incident. Seems the local chief has even written State House, asking that all hunting be closed in the Okavango. There is very little chance that will happen, but the entire industry has clearly been shaken by the incident.

Mark Kyriakou of Bird Safaris, who sits on the Executive Committee of the Botswana Outfitters and Professional Hunters Association, said bluntly at press time: "We are the ones recommending that Alistair McFarlane's Tourism Enterprise License be cancelled. Our industry is solidly behind efforts to punish this infraction." Kyriakou went on to say authorities were eager to contact the clients who shot the two lions with McFarlane, not to prosecute them but to enlist their help in determining just what happened. The prevailing theory at this point is, a lion was shot with the first license, which was then turned back in as if the lion had not been shot. At that point, a second license was issued, which was also used t........(continued)