Animals, Environment, Politics, Society

Australian Hunter Under Fire For Photos With Dead Animals

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I have previously expressed my surprise that people enjoy shooting animals in the wild.  As an avid hiker and animal lover, I go to great lengths to see animals in nature but I fail to see why it is exciting or fulfilling to shoot some animal with high-powered rifle.  These trophy hunters seem to want to collect these animals.  Australian businessman, Nick Haridemos, appears to go further and pose with dead animals.  A series of photos like this Twitter image were posted on social media and led to Haridemos being hounded out of Hellenic Club.

 

The pictures were highlighted by the Canberra Times.  The dead baboon pictures were shared on Photobucket with a user’s comment of  “Absolutely funny as hell!”

I find it creepy as hell.  Haridemos was the Director and Vice-President of the Hellenic Club Board.

We previously followed the controversy over the shooting of “Cecil the Lion” by an American dentist Walter Palmer from Minnesota. What was most striking was the complete disconnect in how such kills are seen by hunters versus the public at large, as shown by the subsequent controversy of a Idaho hunter taunting animal advocates.

The change reflects a growing trend that we have also discussed as people are fired or disciplined by private entities for outrageous or obnoxious conduct.

40 thoughts on “Australian Hunter Under Fire For Photos With Dead Animals”

  1. There are parts of the world in which animals are mercilessly tortured and killed, for nothing more than mere sport, before throngs of cheering and roaring crowds packed into arenas. Yes. Bull fights–an abhorrent form of recreation, which most simply paint as a just another quaint part of these various cultures. Cultures, which we are lectured, ad nauseum, that need to be respected and honored. How dare we criticize these inhumane and barbaric activities, when we are chastised to travel and make every effort to soak up the exotic cultures of these various locales? Where is the outrage? Where is the condemnation? It doesn’t exist, at least, not on a wide scale basis. So what if this form of recreation doesn’t transpire in the wild, which distinguishes it from what occurred in this article? Bullfights are organized, heavily attended, activities. . .does it make any difference that they do not transpire in the wild? An insignificant difference. The matadors are idealized and respected members of these societies, and they are commonly depicted as sexy, macho heroes. As such, how are we suddenly perplexed and appalled as to why some find killing, for the sake of killing, a rush?

    1. I would like to add horse tripping, cock fighting, dog fighting, and bear baiting to the list.

      1. Absolutely; however, in the activities, which you referenced, bullfighting is somewhat unique in its degree of depravity. . .namely, it utilizes a human being as one of the combatants, where the animal is, already, doomed to death. An agonizing, pre-determined death. Not that there is much of a difference, as all of the aformentioned activities should be illegal and banned; yet, bullfighting casts the human–the matador–to the level of hero and master. His ability to kill the bull, which has been severely tortured and disabled prior to the encounter in the arena, is elevated to a level where one is supposed to view the animal’s death as man’s ability to conquer and control all. That added element, which injects a human into the equation, seems to make the behavior and the sport, where human chant and roar for the bull’s death, that much more depraved and vile.

  2. Red Foot Tortoises hear the master call. Red Foots expect a delicious meal. But when they find out there is none, then they surround the master & bite the hand that feeds.

    FYI…..Red Foots don’t like turtle soup…..

  4. Last fall I joined some friends on a goose hunt in northeastern New York. Up near Lake Champlain. The state of New York feels that the region is over populated with resident Canada geese( they don’t migrate). The 6 of us shot 53 geese in 3 mornings of hunting. The bag limit was 15 birds a day( set by the state of New York. All the state of New York wants to do is keep the local goose population under control. I brought a lot of goose meat home with me.

    2. As long as the meat wasn’t wasted, then this would be better than consuming the factory high density meat bird farms.

      Did you save the feathers for anything? The feet can make good dog chews, but you’d have to look up how to prepare them. I think they have to be baked low and slow like jerky.

      I differentiate killing for meat or to cull an overpopulated population without predators from trophy hunting.

  5. Greek Boy should be hounded out of the human race for this stunt.Or a team of animal rights activists should plan a similar celebration when he breaks these earthly bonds.

  6. OMG. This choice would be like killing the earth, representing the baboon, or exotic animal would be a tragic thing, considering it is part of our ecosystem. This is the worst.

  7. Because of rapid human population growth, there probably won’t be a single large non-human mammal in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of (with luck) a few well-policed tourist parks.

  8. The killing of an animal from necessity was never better illustrated than in the movie, ‘The Last of the Mohicans’. The religious aspect and the respect for life was perfectly balanced with the killing for food. All the rest that goes on: sport, trophy, this idiot, etc. illustrates more a mental deficiency of the killer than anything else. If you hunt for food or as part of husbandry then do it. If you hunt for any other reason, then get some help. To explain it as some primal urge puts it in the same category as rape being a result of primal urges.

  9. Can’t really say much. Sure.. hunting animals can seem to be a pointless, cruel and unfair practice.
    But shouldn’t we also find it disgusting the lack of consideration given to the millions that we raise and slaughter for food?
    Hunting can be outrageous but… historically, the interest in hunting is also a dynamic responsible for conserving large swaths of land for necessary habitat (for wild animals). Perhaps there should be a turning point.
    Hunting can be outrageous and might affect hundreds (thousands?) of beautiful animals in the midst of enjoying their lives in freedom but if you eat aren’t you part of the team that continually slaughters millions having lived their short lives often in confinement and questionable conditions?

  10. You can’t lump in all hunters to one group. There are subsistence hunters, trophy hunters, Fish and Game hunters culling diseased deer…it is not a homogenous group. Many hunters are avid outdoorsmen and conservationists.

    I do not hunt. I wasn’t brought up to it as a child, and prefer shooting photos. However, I am an omnivore, and realize my hypocrisy. I also think that, as long as it’s not a deer suffering from Chronic Wasting Disease, then a hunted animal has a far better life living wild and free, and then getting killed before it knows what hit it. A true shot drops the animal without a flinch. It beasts getting dragged down by wolves or waiting in line at a slaughterhouse.

    That said, I personally do not agree with trophy hunting, and vehemently oppose canned hunts. The animals are beautiful, and it’s incredible to feel their fur. But when there is no need to kill them, it is a waste of life. I differentiate this from culling a dangerous animal, such as a man-eating lion or tiger. I know someone who was heartbroken when a bobcat killed his young dog. He shot the bobcat and nailed his hide to the wall.

    I understand that trophy hunters enjoy the hunt, trekking to emote areas, tracking their prey, and then bagging an unusual animal that they can look at whenever they want. Since ancient times, humans have been drawn to harvest the most unusual furs or teeth for adornment. Some still feel that pull. That’s why a pretty albino or animal with leucism is doomed where there are hunters. For me, if that animal was neither a threat, nor food, nor overpopulated due to the removal of predators, then the animal should not be killed. I went into a taxidermy shop in Wyoming once, and was near tears at all the gorgeous animals dead and posed into macabre sculptures. You can buy a stuffed falcon swooping towards a stuffed squirrel. The wolf and white ermine got to me the most.

    A proper subsistence hunter is proud of his clean kill, providing for his or her family, but thankful for the animal. Many hunters still voice their thanks to the animal before they field dress it. Sometimes they might take a photo of an impressive sized deer just like a fisherman would of his big catch. But to taunt or mock the dead carcass is not sportsmanlike or ethical. What kind of person laughs about posing with a dead baboon covered in bloody fur?

    One more thing to point out is that natural predators and humans have an opposite effect on wildlife. Predators like wolves cull the weak, old, infirm, frail, and unfortunately also the young. Their predation keeps the herd strong, keeping the wisest and fittest members. Humans hunt the most healthy, robust specimens. We humans do not like to eat wormy diseased meat. So our predation weakens herds.

    1. Those who kill, do it because they enjoy killing. The reason for all the excuses is that they know that enjoyment of killing is morally unacceptable.

      1. “Those who kill, do it because they enjoy killing.” Fishermen kill fish. Do they fish because they enjoy killing? Or do they view the fish as food, and landing a large fish a test of skill? However would you know how millions of other people feel? Is enjoying fishing an excuse?

        I know hunters, although I do not hunt myself. In some states, everyone supplements their freezers with game. I have a friend who started raising her own hogs because she and her friends wanted organic, vegetarian-fed, humanely raised meat. She lets her hogs roam on her sizable property. She inspected the abattoir and their methods, and made herself watch the first processing of all of her hogs to ensure they didn’t suffer. As she says, they have a great life and one bad day.

        That said, Chronic Wasting Disease is becoming a major issue for game.

  11. I am always amazed at the people who are pro-choice up to the 40th week of pregnancy but yet want to ban hunting.

    Let’s me say the following, “While I do not hunt myself, I do not want to force my version of morality on others who do not share my views!” Sound familiar?

    antonio

    2. Enjoyment of killing is offensive to all decent people. Those who assist with abortion don’t consider their job to be “recreation” and “sport”.

      Animals are able to take care of themselves. Humans born out of adverse pregnancies require care for many years.

  13. “Seen by hunters versus the public at large” is a broad generalization and misrepresentation of hunters in my opinion. I believe a majority of hunters would find this photo a disgrace as well as it goes against the core values most hunters have. Respecting the animals we harvest is one of those values.

      1. Of course all this denigrating of people eating meat comes from a person with a nickname homonymous of Crispy Bacon.

      2. So why can’t I be pro choice about hunting? Hey, I don’t do it myself!! My guess is that you and others like you are only pro choice about things you care about.

        Kind of like liberals who support free speech for every leftist radical out there but want to censor those who express politically incorrect opinions.

        And are you a vegetarian, “Chris P Bacon”?

        Of course, I do not expect consistency from leftists.

  16. When we lived in CT they passed a bill outlawing killing deer. The deer population grew and they became regular visitors in the suburbs. The law was rescinded. You had to buy a license; a new revenue stream. I planted roses in the Fall and as they grew in the Spring I felt quite the green thumb. Coming home from work one afternoon all my roses were gone. Except for one very high shoot. Too high for the deer to reach. I then understood what the fuss was about when the deer became protected.

    What is the animal in the picture? Looks like some kind of monkey.

    1. Oops, should have read the entire article before getting my keyboard in trouble!

    2. You detest them because they enjoy killing and are proud that they killed something, Decent people don’t enjoy killing.

          1. You have no idea what I eat. Haven’t eaten junk food in years. Work out regularly too.

            What? You assume because I’m politically incorrect, I must be an out of shape, junk food eating idiot?

            IQ of 125 and admitted as a lawyer in 3 states.

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