To the editor:
Re: a photo (in another media) of a magnificent cougar killed by a hunter. I was horrified and distressed over this cougar’s death but by saying nothing I would be missing a chance to try to ease pain in a suffering world where wildlife always loses; first their domain, next their sanctuary, then food sources and finally even their lives.
It was a crime against all of us to lose this magnificent cougar. It was carrying the genes of the finest and fittest.
I am disgusted that this killing is called sport. There is no sport in hunting. The foremost rules in sport are fairness, equality and consent. On the animal’s side there is none of the above.
Does that sound like a fair competition, being chased by a privileged, and superior, bully with every high tech hunting tool, plus expensive trained cougar hounds to break a path in the snow for the hunter and to tree the exhausted cougar? The poor victim is often starving and possibly pregnant and now it is going to die. The dogs have treed the cat and the dogs keep up their incessant baying until our brave hero shows up to aim and pull the trigger.
So if this is sport, where is the risk to the hunter? Is that called hunting or is it called murder? Some hunters claim that killing is their right and a personal choice. What about conscience? Does it not have a higher priority over rights and choice? Does the hunter know his pleasure inflicts pain on other beings? If so how can that continue to be a pleasure? The definition of a sadist is one who derives pleasure from inflicting pain or watching others suffer.
It is estimated that for every animal a hunter kills, at least two wounded animals die slowly and painfully from their wounds, infection, or starvation.
They should be ashamed at allowing their base feelings to override any sense of right or wrong to living creatures. Hunters say they select and kill only the old animals that were going to die of starvation during the winter anyway. The magnificent cougar that was chased by dogs and then shot for no reason except for pleasure was not old or sick.
These men really don’t want the animal, they just want photos with it’s dead body (with them of course rejoicing beside it) to satisfy their egos.
That is easy to see by the proud and jubilant look on their faces. The bigger the trophy the happier they are and it is implied that there was a battle of wits and cunning. Give me a break, who is going to fall for that. Real men protect the innocent; here we have the opposite.
Joellen Broughton, Kelowna
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