Heartbreaking News! A Big-Tusker That Was Collared For Research Killed By Russian Hunter In Zimbabwe

Pictured is the dead elephant alongside hunt leader Martin Pieters. Photo sourced from social media as per Africa Geographic

Tragically, a Big-Tusker bull elephant that was collared for research purposes was killed earlier this month by a Russian trophy hunter in Zimbabwe.

The unnamed hunter was among a group of seven that included a government ranger and two trackers from the community with detailed knowledge of the area; all of who claim, at the time, to have not noticed that the elephant was collared.

As per Africa Geographic, the 14-day “legal” hunt was reportedly under the direction of professional hunter Martin Pieters of Martin Pieters Safaris, a member of Safari Club International, and took place in the community-run conservancy Naivasha which borders on the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe.

“There is no law that protects a collared animal from being hunted in Zimbabwe, but there is a general acceptance that the ethical position is that a hunter will avoid shooting an animal with a collar,” noted The Frankfurt Zoological Society, which collared this and other elephants for research purposes, in a statement. “The data from this bull has been captured and will help us with our ongoing efforts to find solutions, together with our local and international partners, to conservation questions in a world where the challenges to find space for wildlife and their habitats are becoming ever more complicated.”

Sadly, there are less than 30 big tuskers left in Africa.

Unfathomably, the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association called this senseless loss “a genuine mistake due to a lack of communication.”

But Make No Mistake About This; Hunting Wild Animals For So-Called “Trophies” Should Never Happen Let Alone Be Permitted!