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The vast majority of hunting areas in SA are game fenced and the fences are usually at least 2 metres high. Some of the smaller animals can get under or through the fence and some such as eland, can and do sometimes jump the fence but nevertheless the fence does contain most of the animals. However the fences are there and consequently the animals hunted within them are taken 'behind the wire' but one must realise that these areas are usually very large indeed and although a lot depends on point of view, my opinion is that plains game that are hunted in these areas are perfectly legitimate and not canned in any way. SCI and Rowland Ward etc obviously agree wih me because they both accept these animals into the books without any discrimination.

However, with Dangerous Game, I personally believe that things are different and even more open to personal opinion and interpretation. First one has to define canned hunting and that to me is any animal that has been born, raised or spent any appreciable time in confinement or in the company of humans OR is under the influence of any sedating drug at the time of being shot etc. As far as I'm concerned, the people who take part in that kind of disgusting and disgraceful practice should be tied to a tree for Leopard bait.

Then we have the DG animals that live in these large but fenced areas but live naturally as far as food etc goes. I guess it's up to each individual to decide whether they want to hunt these DG animals or not. I don't condemn people who do that, but personally I won't guide any DG hunt (excepting Rhino which I'll get onto later) in a fenced area. I personally believe the only right way to hunt these DG animals is in unnfenced true wilderness areas and as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing in SA.

I believe the closest you can get to this are the areas adjoining areas such as the KNP and as I see it, these animals are habituated to humans and vehicles. Admittedly, this doesn't make them any less dangerous, but it does mean they behave differently.

With Lions for example, one of the great give aways between a canned Lion and a habituated Lion is to look for scars. A Lion that's spent his life in a cage etc will have very few scars, whereas a Lion that's lived a more natural life, will have had to fight for his rights and will have battle scars to prove it.

It should be noted that most record book organisations either don't accept SA Lions into their books or have separate sections for them.

Regading Rhino, the cold hard fact is that you would be hard pressed to find any that can be hunted and don't live in fenced areas. In SA, you certainly won't, because the law requires that they be fenced in. You've also got to remember that Rhino are as dumb as a sack of shit, and for example, in the old days, one of the games that Zulu kids used to play was for one to sneak up to a sleeping rhino and place a stone on his back, and the next kid had to sneak up and take it off again.

Personally, I think the more challenging and sporting way to hunt a Rhino is to do with a dart gun........ it's also a shit load of fun.

Hope that helps

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Steve "Shakari" Robinson
Kuduland Safaris (Africa) Ltd
info@kuduland.com
www.kuduland.com