Forumites might be interested in the comments on the NE facebook page. Actually have a good discussion going on there ...

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The opening comment:
"Extreme hunter" is a term by tabloid press to try to sensationalise stories with little value. And trivialise the person. To make small minded people take note. Perhaps extreme sustainable conservationalist would be a better title.

Again an attack by a misogynist against a female.
Gervais claims he stands up for animals, yet can he show a single dollar he has contributed to true conservation? Pathetic man.

The replies so far:

Stu Cooper I don't want her to die, I just want her to stop being so smug and happy about killing and fucking stop. 100% support gervais. If you're smiling laying next to a dead giraffe, you have mental problems. A guy named Norman Bates is a real big fan of shit like that. I'm sure there are a bunch of rednecks that will get boners looking at that kind of stuff, but that doesn't make it normal or ok. Darwinism seemed to do the job just fine before mega rich egomaniacs entered the "game". This woman helps the environment about as much as Zimmermann helped the neighborhood watch.
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Roy Langley You really have no clue about wildlife conservation in Africa, Stu Cooper and Darwinism hasn't a snowballs hope in hell of contributing to the conservation of wildlife on the planet.
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Stu Cooper But killing a giraffe does? Gimme a fuckin break. Go chase an elephant or something.
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Stu Cooper Also in the posted article they even state how what she is doing is not helping. Try to make yourself out to be a hero all you want, you're still a sociopath if you enjoy this.
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Roy Langley Its OK to kill an elephant but not a giraffe. Why would that be? I have not seen a shortage of old bull giraffes in Southern Africa, which is mostly what the trophy hunters shoot. In fact, the numbers of giraffes have increased quite substantially sin...See More
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Stu Cooper It's not ok to kill an elephant, or a giraffe. Especially if you act like this woman. You people act so proud, i'd like to see you step into a cage and fight someone who can fight back, then see how tough and heroic you feel. Real easy to feel like a tough guy looking through a scope at something grazing.
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NitroExpress.com Mr Cooper, the vast majority of the people/Hunters I know like the adventure of going to an exotic location and experiencing the excitement of the a fair chase hunt! If you knew anything about what you were talking about, you would might understand why we legally do this! In my experience, many of these negative replies have more to do with Hunters being able to do this and the haters not being able to afford similar travel, adventure, excitement etc! JB
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Stu Cooper lmao so i'm jealous? you might be even more delusional than I thought. I make plenty of money and I wouldn't spend it killing animals, that's for sure. Did you even read the article you posted? At the bottom they challenge the validity of the crap you're spewing.
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Ian Hinksmon I agree with a tiny bit with stu but mostly with Roy Langley I lived near Ermelo south Africa and I saw elephants about as often there as I do now in Georgia but when I do kill an animal I do it only for the meat I don't even take a photo of it so I don't really like it when people show off their trophy photos on the internet but if I see a nice trophy like this one I will say that it was a good shot.
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John Hahn Stu Cooper, most people that educate themselves on the subject fully understand that in a place such as Africa, a place often of extreme poverty that wildlife has no value without value. Land is valuable and can be used for subsistence crops. For cutti...See More
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John Hahn Stu Cooper, a question for you. If you support Gervais 100%. Why does the likes of him concentrate on and only attack usually pretty young female hunters?

Lots of us old fat male hunters do the same and post even more photos online, yet not a word?

Perhaps he is a misogynist as I suggest.

Or perhaps it is because he is a tired old comedian (really his humour has always been 'nasty' humour and not that funny IMO) who is looking for some sort of fame or resurgence of his "career".

Tabloids know pretty young girls sell copy so also feature them for just that purpose.

I think the followers of Gervais are being sucked in blindly by the same tactics.
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Matthew Morgan Well written.i totally agree . Unfortunately I think it's beyond the haters intellect to grasp this.
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NitroExpress.com Well put JH! JB
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John Hahn
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Doug Fielder Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes...
These people that are against hunting are threatening to kill someone? Those are terroristic threats everywhere I've ever lived, as well as cyber bullying and the funniest is that they are threatening someone who knows how to use a firearm... Most likely they know how to defend themselves too.
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NitroExpress.com Unfortunately Doug, many of these urbanised people these days, put the value of an Animals life above that of a Humans! That is, until they feel hungry, then they forget about all that and eat till there full again! Hypocrisy and Bigotry are just two, of the many poor human traits!!! FYI, the Hunters and other people that I enjoy the company of, put the value of both an Animal and Human's life, on the same or similar level! The reason we still have our Firearms License is, we have NEVER THREATENED TO KILL another Human Being, which as we can see here, is more than some people can say!!! JB
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Doug Fielder Agreed 100%, I was just highlighting the irony.
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John Hahn Animal liberation has a lot to do with mental illness and depression. Self hatred leads to hatred of mankind in general. It is less to do with the elevation of animals and more to do with the devaluation of human kind.
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NitroExpress.com JH, thank you for clearing that up for me! JB
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David Dobson Anyone that lives or works in the country should know the need for conservation and the control of foxes, deer population ect. but paying large sums of money to kill big game even if there are instances where it needs to be controlled is not something that any hunter should be so proud of that they feel the need to have pictures taken with them smiling and laughing. It is NOT an achievement worth a memory! and anyone that feels it is must be dead inside!
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Roy Langley Let me put something into perspective for you David Dobson. South Africa is the size of the Province of British Columbia in Canada, yet there are almost more game animals in South Africa than there are White Tail deer in the whole of North America (including Canada). That, is as a result of people hunting big game animals in South Africa and contributing the funds necessary to grow the game population from 500,000 head to over 20 million head in 40 years (that figure excludes game in National & Provincial Parks). So, don't come with your holier than thou attitude that it is OK for you to hunt certain species of animal because they may be termed pests, but not OK for people to hunt other species of animal. A dead animal is a dead animal, irrespective of what type of animal it is.
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David Dobson Roy I did not say that controlling animal populations or hunting was wrong now did I, read what I said before going off on one!. You don't see pictures of a guy who works in an abattoir taking a picture every time he slaughters a cow or sheep do you!
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Cris Hill Well spoken David Dobson im proud of you
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Lorraine Lawrence David, you miss the point. The animals are not just shot on sight. The ones that are culled are carefully selected. It is difficult, it is expensive. It is a challenge not everyone is up to. It is an accomplishment to be proud of. You are going to begrudge someone a photo and a smile? If simply reducing numbers where what was needed then mowing them down with machine guns or using snares like poachers would be acceptable. It isn't. You are trying to have cake and eat it too. Or in this case meat. I've seen plenty of photos of folks with a fox or coyote. I don't begrudge them that. Would you rather the poisoning of waterholes that goes on? The people against hunting do not distinguish between what you are doing and what another hunter does. If you don't see this, well maybe you should give up hunting.
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David Dobson It is not me who is missing the point and like I said I am not against hunting. If an animal has to be culled for what ever the reason then that's fair enough but for example, lying down next to the giraffe you have just shot grinning like a Cheshire cat is not necessary and in my opinion shows not respect for the animal at all.
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Roy Langley David Dobson, we have reached the point in hunting where it is now like politics and religion, it is something best not debated because someone's sensitivities, rights, feather, etc are going to be ruffled. Not everyone views things the same, and that is because we all have different life experiences which influence the way we think and act. One of the biggest mistakes people make is using, for example, the American or English hunting culture to measure the hunting culture in Africa, or Asia or some other country by. It does not work because the history etc of each is vastly different and the social and economic set up in each country is vastly different. Laws pertaining to hunting have also developed differently in each country and those laws govern how hunters think and behave. No one countries is right or wrong, they have to be viewed in the context of each individual countries history and development. Game conservation in some countries is dependent on trophy hunting, be it the Big 5 or the Tiny 10, all one and the same thing. There is no difference between trophy hunting for Suni or trophy hunting for Elephant (besides the fact that one will feed more people than the other one will). Whether people want to sit in a photo along with their trophy, or take the photo with just the animal in it, or not take a photo at all is each persons inalienable right. If one person wants to smile in the photo and another wants to sit with hat off and head bowed, that is their choice and their right. Just don't judge others based on what you think is politically, or cultural, or socially correct.
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Lorraine Lawrence So your objection is indeed to the woman herself then, if I understand you? You interpret her smile as being a bit too large? Too toothy? She didn't prop the animal up? But chose to lay beside it rather than astride it or standing over it? In short you would like to be a photo or beauty expert or critic? That is what it sounds like. Half a moment while I look at your photos... Or should we just post them elsewhere without your permission like that idiot comedian and invite public comments?
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David Dobson Lorraine I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree on this, as for your comment on posting photos it was this page that i saw them on!, oh and believe me I am no fan of Ricky Gervais. Roy is right in saying that not everyone views things in the same light, what I have said is my opinion and I hope you agree that everyone has that right.
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NitroExpress.com Ancient man painted pictures of his kills and hunted wildlife on his cave walls tens of thousands of years ago so I guess it is 100% natural for modern man to do the same with film and photos.
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NitroExpress.com As for "paying large sums of money to kill big game" firstly I think this is a "class warfare" comment. But I would happily hunt big game for free and not have to pay to do it. However I also recognise the fees often go to supporting wildlife and poor local communities. Whining about the evils of hunting on facebook does NOTHING for wildlife nor poor comunities.
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Terry Maw So.... you really think this is acceptable? I'm a shooter, I keep the pigeons down, I help reduce the rabbit population and when required will cull fox and dear......but come on, get a grip, you really want to be a human being that believes killing a big old lion or a rhino or a feckin elephant is a good thing.........really?........
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Victor Arancibia An old lion can be a lot of money for the tribes that live there. They received the benefits of hunting
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Roy Langley Terry Maw, what is the difference between someone culling lion, elephant etc and paying big money to do it in a sustained ecologically viable manner, and you culling fox and deer.
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Kyle Wattis One place I didn't think hunting needed to be explained was Nitro Express. Yes there are many instances where killing a rhino, lion, or elephant is a good thing. Elephant are one of the most destructive animals on the planet, without some kind of population control they destroy the habitat for themselves and other species.
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Matti Colledge There is no instance where hunting a Rhino is a good thing you fucking idiot. They're next to extinction.
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NitroExpress.com Matti, if it wasn't for Hunters and their money, some species of Rhino may already be extinct! JB
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Randy J. Arnson You Matti are an ignorant fool when it comes to the subject! Take for instance the recent rhino permit auctioned by the DSC in 2014. Namibia I believe had an old rhino bull past its breeding age but was still a dangerous threat to the younger breeding bulls. They have been known to severely harm or even kill them. So with this bull having basically lived it's full life would you rather it died an extremely painful death of say starvation or most likely being eaten alive by a pride of lions for no money raised. Or sell a rare tag that brought in a ton of much needed money to help with habitat improvement for the other younger rhinos & to help fight the illegal poaching of the animals. Which one?

Death can be a hard subject but in this situation the clear & reasonable choice is the latter!
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Jeff Knight Christ, the enemy within is alive and well I see. Please, do some research so as a shooter you understand how controlled hunting/culling HELPS conservation (Regardless of the prey or country), and then think before criticising one type of hunter or shooter over another! To disagree is fine, but if they stop big game hunting, don't for a minute think they will be happy and stop there. Pretty soon, rabbits, pigeon and everything you shoot will be on this list too.
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Ian Hinksmon yeah im mainly against poach rhinos for their horns and that's why they are going extinct hell ive seen more rhinos here in America than I did when I lived in Africa I was there for about 6 and a half years and I can count the amount of times I saw a rhino on one hand. about 5 breeding female rhinos in a year can replace the amount of rhinos that were killed sustainably by hunters in about 2 years the regulations are so tight because of poachers they are the real problem.
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John Hahn Terry Maw, I will repeat what I wrote above ...

most people that educate themselves on the subject fully understand that in a place such as Africa, a place often of extreme poverty that wildlife has no value without value. Land is valuable and can be used for subsistence crops. For cutting down of all forests for firewood. For the poaching of wildlife for game meat. For the poaching of ivory and horn for illegal sale. For the cutting of cane and grass for thatch and hundreds of other uses.

How can wildlife survive in a ever increasing local population without value?

How can value be created?

It can be created by tourism. Photo tourism is one way. Photo tourism however is often insufficient in supply and also in value. And also does not manage the wildlife population. Elephants in particular will increase in number and expand to raid local shambas (farms) destroying the food crops and killing people. And if mankind can farm say cattle for meat, isn't it better to farm wilidlife for meat instead. Thereby ensuring its survival and longevity.

So we turn to sustainable managed conservation through controlled hunting. Foreign tourists who pay quite large amounts to enjoy a natural activity of mankind practised by mankind for thousands of years, hunting. The competitive pursuit of pitting ones wits and skills against animals in a sporting manner.

Nothing in Africa is wasted. The meat is all consumed, if not by the hunting camp, by the PHs and clients, then by the staff, if not by them it is either sold, or most likely given to protein starved local communities. An elephant kill is a great example of the joy the local communities experience when an elephant is killed and the meat shared. It is like a festival.

How do the local communities benefit?
By being given meat. By gaining employment as trackers, cooks, cleaners, drivers, camp guards, game and anti poaching guards, by the community often receiving part of the fees the outfitter pays to hunt a concession. Many outfitters also have programmes to assist the local community, health and education. Many clients also like to assist.

When the game gains a value, and the local communities see a return from wildlife, they are less likely to poach or as much. More likely to help protect wildlife. If a kudu earns them $100 in fees the village is less likely to allow Mr Mpofu the poacher free access to his poaching activities. Plus the presence of anti poaching patrols paid for by the outfitter.

From sustainable managed hunting, mankind benefits, wildlife benefits.

I hope you take the time to read this.
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Terry Maw John Hahn I have taken the time to read this and whilst it all sounds very idealistic, practical and logical it is actually wrong on so many levels.
I do understand the theory of an animal gaining value and so becoming respected by the locals but try explaining that ethos to all the other valuable animals hunted nearly to extinction....the woman pictured with that lion is as debase as the poachers we see in the news in fact I consider her worse as she is quite clearly pleased with her actions and wishes others to see just how proud she is....this kind of image just gives credence to hunting endangered animals.
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John Hahn I would be pleased as well if I was her. Why shouldn't she smile. She has done nothing nothing nor illegal. She has not contributed to the destruction of endangered species, she has contributed to their conservation. Rhinos are a good example and the white rhino was brought back from near extinction by the efforts of hunting game ranches in South Africa. Lion habitat in the wild is also maintained by sustainable conservation. I agree Rebecca is a great example and PR for sustainable conservation through legal hunting.
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Declan Mouland I bet Mr Gervais buys and eats non-free range chicken meat and eggs though...but I suppose to him thats fine . Its also fine for him to eat cereals, most crops of which are shot over for its protection.
Yet shooting a wild free animal that has led a good life is wrong..Hypocrite springs to mind.
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NitroExpress.com Well said Declan! But don't forget Lamb! You know that fluffy little white animal, I bet Mr Gervais has eaten a few in his days! Yes, Hypocrisy and Bigotry, are not good human traits!!! JB
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Jeff Knight Like most of these non-vegan antis, they seem fine with eating meat as long as someone else has killed it for them and they don't have to think about it. Most people these days are so far removed from the reality of the food chain and ecosystem, I don't think the human race would survive if we were suddely forced back to primitive living via a natural or man made disaster.
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NitroExpress.com Jeff, I think a better way to put it is; These people are happy to Pay another Person, to do their Dirty Work for them! That way, these Hypocrites and Bigots, in their eye's anyway, have No Blood On Their Hands! WRONG!!! As for Vegetarians and Vegans, they don't get off the hook that easily either. These types have never thought about how our Farmers keep all those native and introduced animals off the crops soon to become their food! I can assure you they don't stay up all night shooing them away with a silk cloth tied to the end of a stick! JB
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John Hahn
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Mike Moody
Mike Moody's photo.
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NitroExpress.com Sums them up perfectly Mike! JB
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M疸y疽 Marics Great old lion ! Congrats , beautiful Diana !
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Eric Jarvis Coe One hell of a hunt wish I could of been there!
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Ian Hinksmon I never when on a big game hunt before even when I was living in Africa I shot a few antelope but that's it so could someone save me the internet search and just comment on if im in the right ball park. from what ive heard going hunting for any of the big 5 will cost a person about 50k us dollars right? an most of that money goes to the conservation of those animals and please feel free to tell me if im wrong on the price
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John Hahn Ian Hinksmon, well I can't afford a lion hunt! It is expensive and yes in many places some of the fees go to the local community. They also gain employment and actual cash incomes from the work. Game meat as well is often given to locals. Fees also go to the governments, which helps pay for parks and other important initiatives. These are often poor countries and the hard currency is very important. $50,000 in total daily fees and trophy fees would be a minimum in a wilderness concession hunt.
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John Hahn
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Jesse Kaufman I love a woman who likes to hunt! My wife is a great hunter and shooter and we teach are two daughters to do the same.
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Eric Jarvis Coe One hell of a hunt wish I could of been there!
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Alex Hope Diana Well done!!! U did kill a lion yes but you are more importantly insuring the survival of many species including the lion, by the funds you paid to hunt this big old champ. It is a FACT that because of hunting you and i and the rest of us ethical hunters, PHYSICALLY DO MORE TO CONSERVE ANY ANIMAL!!! Hiphip horay
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Kris Mancini Death threats mostly idle talk from computer bullies I had a person say that to me for a photo and I told them to inbox me a secure address to send a round trip ticket to come and do what he said he was going to do you know the sound of crickets that was his response I messaged him that comment first before I put it out on FB here threaten me I'm really scared
Kris Mancini's photo.
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Ian Hinksmon is it just me or does that lion look a little malnourished which would make it dangerous to local people and livestock so she did a public service by killing it and if is not malnourished than nice trophy
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John Hahn Hi Ian Hinksmon, to me it looks like quite a healthy lion. But alpha lions when pushed out of the pride by a younger and stronger male will deteriorate quickly and usually die within a year or two.
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John Hahn
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Duane Carney terry get a grip hunters r the only major source of revenue to keep several species from certain extinction
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Paula Lloyd think this is disgusting my husband and i shoot but draw a line at this this is not sport
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John Hahn Paula Lloyd, that is your opinion but millions of people disagree with you, and so does mankind since prehistoric times. Only in the last few decades has some people become divorced from nature and think hunting is not a sport to be enjoyed.
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John Hahn

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Jeff Knight Gervais, like most of his narcissistic and egotistical ilk, is nothing more than a mouthpiece for ignorance. Isn't it strange how when they stop being funny (If they ever were) and lose the fame they crave, the likes of him and that muppet Carey jump on their soapbox about guns or hunting to try and make themselves relevent again...only to have thier career tank further when people see their "heros" for the ignorant bigots they really are.
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Billijo M. Beck You know, Until he goes after his followers for sending death threats he's just as guilty.
He encourages those weak minded dolts. Death threats are not acceptable from EITHER side of this debate. When you encourage and allow your followers then your smeared as well.
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Mark Hibble Was this a wild lion or a canned hunt
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