Without question or contradiction, Florida is the most diverse of the 50 states, in terms of its flora and its fauna. And speaking of the latter, in what has become the most popular vacation state in the union, our Everglades National Park, in particular, is absolutely replete with every conceivable native and non-native animal; including alligators, crocodiles, boa constrictors, pythons, panthers, bears, armadillos, opossums, raccoons and monkeys.
During the 40 days after Hurricane Andrew, in which my National Guard unit served the people of Homestead, we were stationed on the property of the Metro Zoo. Prior to the storm there was an AIDs research facility on the site, and it seems the major victims of the research which occurred there were various types of monkeys.
As the hurricane blew in, the windows and doors of the facility were breached, and the research animals escaped. Interestingly enough, the reservists in my unit were instructed to shoot these monkeys on sight. To my knowledge, none were ever sighted. However, it is thought that dozens of the infected little primates escaped into the Everglades; and their descendants may well be there today.
And while I am telling animal stories, in the past couple of days, a black bear was sighted in a tree in the central Florida town in which I currently live. ‘Til now, I had thought the nearest bevy of bears was a full thirty miles from whence I now sit.
Pt. 2
Speaking of flora and fauna, I am a great advocate of conservation, and the protection of all the species of the former and latter, and it concerns me, no end, what some people have done, and continue to do in the name of big business as well as sport.
Recently, a big game hunter and guide, who specialized in the hunting of big cats in Africa, died during the course of his ‘duties.’ The man, who will remain nameless here, was widely known for his use of hounds to chase the great felines in the direction of his “band of brothers;” providing them the opportunity to easily ‘dispatch’ the animals.
In the past few days, Mr. X and three other men were tracking game on the plains of Zimbabwe when four massive elephants charged the group. In spite of the men’s attempts to defend themselves, and the hail of bullets which they poured into the charging mammoths, one bull elephant managed to reach the guide, and lifted him into the air with his trunk. The rain of bullets was relentless, however, and the grey giant fell to the ground.
Regrettably, as he fell Mr. X was pinned under him, and was crushed beneath the body of the largest land animal on our planet. And while the big game hunter specialized in the hunting of and subsequent killing of African cats, there are photos on the internet which depict him standing next to a dead elephant.
As a result, I can only surmise he specialized in more than just tigers and lions. The story goes that Mr. X has been in the business of “trophy hunting” since his college days, and actually paid his tuition in this manner.
One article I managed to pull up reports that in recent weeks a friend of this “great white hunter,” (who happened to pursue the same profession) disappeared during a one-man safari. A couple of weeks later what was left of the man was discovered inside the body of an African crocodile.
Afterward
Newspaper and television coverage has reported a significant amount of ‘blow-back’ on the part of animal rights activists; especially by means of social media.
Many have heaped scorn, laced with four letter adjectives, on Mr. X, and have surmised that he got as good as he gave, and that so-called karma finally caught up with him, and with his friend. Of course, the families of these men have suffered greatly for the verbal abuse which has been heaped upon their loved ones.
To be sure, I believe this sort of vindictiveness is “beyond the pale” and, even given the circumstances, has no place in polite society. I am utterly sympathetic towards the family and friends of the two trophy hunters in the loss of their loved ones.
At the same time I, for one, am thrilled that the two men’s efforts to diminish the numbers of several already threatened species , and deprive us of their splendor, has come to a conclusion.
By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 56. Copyright pending
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