Goodwell Nzou is entitled to his viewpoint about Cecil's death, especially since he is from Zimbabwe. But the facts about African native deaths would seem to indicate he is being disengenuous.
- The leading killer of African native peoples is poverty, famine, and disease
- Next on the list are war and homicide
- Among animals who kill people the list is headed by the hippopotamus
- Not far behind is the Cape Buffalo
- Even giraffes kill more native people in Africa than lions do. (Giraffes also kill lions)
- Lions and other feline predators are way down at the bottom of the list despite their undeserved reputation (Notice Goodwell's uncle was not killed by the lion)
His allegations about predatory animals in this country has some merit. Admittedly we came perilously close to losing some of our major predator species such as Mountain Lions, Wolves, and Jaguars; not to mention reducing the black bear population in some areas almost to extinction. Fortunately, wisdom has prevailed. Mountain lions have been reported in parts of the country where they have not been seen for a century or more. Some wildlife experts believe there are significantly more lions around than is generally believed and many are living and thriving in and around metropolitan areas.
I live in Tarrant County, Texas on the western side of the Dallas/For Worth metroplex and the county recently published a pamphlet on what to do when you encounter a mountain lion. (The major advice being to walk away slowly, preferably without turning your back, and leave it alone.) When questioned about this Animal Control said, "
They were here first and we are the ones invading their territory." Down in south Texas, along the Rio Grande, ranchers have reported sighting a few Jaguars and have posted signs to the effect, "Leave my Jaguar alone or else". Notice the possessive
MY jaguar which tells you how they feel about these dangerous predators. Black bears have been reported in the Big Bend area. Mexican Red Wolves are once again patrolling the west Texas badlands. Wild alligators have long inhabited the Houston area, but a few have recently taken up residence almost to Dallas.
The point is not what we did rather what are we doing. Now we are learning to live in cooperation with the original animal inhabitants of this land. We are human so it is inevitable we won't do this perfectly, but at least many of us are trying to do it better.
