The hunting of an elephant in the Timbavati reserve would not only be a rare occurrence but would also aid in conservation efforts, said Bryan Havemann, Timbavati Warden.
Havemann was responding to questions from Tourism Update after the hunt came in for criticism from Lucy Bates, an elephant researcher at Sussex University in the UK. Bates is quoted in the Daily Maverick as saying: “Arguments that trophy hunting removes old males that are ‘past their prime’ and ‘no longer breeding’ are entirely false and deceptive in the case of elephant hunting. We know from long-term studies and genetic paternity tests that male elephants show a different pattern of reproductive output to most mammals.”
Bates added that she visited Timbavati 15 years ago and was unaware it was a hunting destination, and said she had not paid to go back since. “I am sure I'm not the only tourist who would feel like this.”
Timbavati reserve made an application to hunt the elephant, which was approved by Mpumalanga or Limpopo’s conservation agencies, after being checked by the Kruger National Park. Havemann explained that the hunt would apply to an elephant more than 50 years old, that is not iconic (named) or collared, and with an unlimited tusk weight. The chances of finding an elephant that met all the requirements was very rare, he added. Timbavati had also applied for this particular elephant to be added to the quota for the past few years, added Havemann.
Havemann, explained that the hunt would benefit conservation. “If this was going to an individual who was going to profit from this, we’d be totally opposed.”
He said the motive for the hunt application was based on the following. “When an elephant gets beyond 50 years of age, they don’t have the ability to chew their food properly any more.” He argued that if it was inevitable that the elephant were to die of natural causes, the money from a hunt would be better used to fuel conservation efforts.
