Africa: Buffalo kills recreational hunter
He was an experienced recreational hunter, had an excellent reputation in the trophy hunting scene, and even owned his own company organising safaris for hunting tourists: South African Claude Kleynhans was not someone who would recklessly put himself in danger. Yet his — not uncontroversial — hobby proved to be his undoing. The owner of the safari company «Guwela Hunting Safaris», which
He was an experienced recreational hunter, had an excellent reputation in the trophy hunting scene, and even owned his own company organising safaris for hunting tourists: South African Claude Kleynhans was not someone who would recklessly put himself in danger.
Yet his — not uncontroversial — hobby proved to be his undoing.
The owner of the safari company «Guwela Hunting Safaris», which offered experienced hunting tourists the opportunity to shoot giraffes, lions and elephants, was on a buffalo hunt in his home country. After he had shot one animal, the 54-year-old failed to notice that an enraged bull was launching an attack — striking him with such force that he was killed. The animal severed his femoral artery during the attack, reports the «Huffington Post». Claude Kleynhans died instantly.
African buffaloes are very large — they can reach a shoulder height of up to 1.75 metres. Male animals weigh up to 900 kilograms. The total population is estimated at around 670,000 individuals. They are currently officially classified as «least concern», yet large herds are now found almost exclusively in protected areas. Due to its strength, the buffalo is considered one of the most dangerous animals in the savannah for humans.
While recreational hunters are frequently criticised in Germany, former police officer Kleynhans enjoyed a good reputation and was very popular in South Africa. Following his death and news of the accident, however, critics from around the world have come forward and are posting comments on the Facebook page of the deceased. Often without excessive sympathy. “Animal killers will all end up in hell sooner or later, I love justice«, wrote a German user. «No loss, you murderer«, another one.
More on the subject of recreational hunting: In the dossier The Role and Criticism of Recreational Hunters we shed light on the training, power and self-image of recreational hunters. The scientific evidence is presented in the overview Studies on the Effects of Recreational Hunting.
The position of IG Wild beim Wild: IG Wild beim Wild rejects recreational hunting. Our model is the canton of Geneva, which has managed without recreational hunting since 1974: without hunting seasons, without hunting dogs, without driven hunts, without high seats, without the animal cruelty and crime that go hand in hand with hunting season elsewhere. What has worked there for over fifty years disproves every position paper by JagdSchweiz. An association that bases its policy on claims it refutes in its own documents is not a professional organisation, but a factory for misinformation.
