Before leaving for safari in South Africa , my professional hunter ( PH ), Mike Birch of Hunt the Sun ( huntthesun . com ), asked if I had the stomach to shoot a giraffe . I thought it was a strange question that even a seasoned hunter needs to ponder . It highlighted some people ' s mental and emotional hang-ups with hunting larger mammals . Is shooting a giraffe , elephant or hippopotamus any different than shooting a deer , elk or moose ?
The question forced me to reflect on hunting and how pursuing glorified wildlife would benefit the species , their habitat and other wildlife that depend on the same land .
Hunter-Conservationist Hunting big African mammals can generate a tidal wave of emotion and outrage among people who fail to see any benefits . As our society becomes less dependent on sourcing its food , hunting , in general , is questioned or targeted by some citizens who refuse to accept any value in the sustainable practices of harvesting wild game . Hunting is conservation , and if you ever experience it firsthand , there is no question that it is important and provides the best opportunity for a diversity of species to flourish . Revenues from hunting have , and continue to be , the reason wildlife and habitats are conserved . Hunting is the primary reason the animals have value .
There are 11 subspecies of giraffe , and where hunting is permitted , the harvest is well-regulated . A giraffe eats 75 pounds of vegetation daily and spends up to 18 hours browsing to meet its needs . A giraffe in the wild can live 25 years , making it a resident of a region with long-term needs and impacts .
" Giraffe , like any other animal , need to be managed ," Birch noted . " Even though they are niche browsers , which means they browse at a height that no other species can feed , they will still damage the ecosystem if left unchecked ."
The issues are no different than a rancher with livestock or wildlife manager monitoring deer . The herd size needs to
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