African Elephant Takes Down Big Game Hunter in Fatal Attack!

Theunis Botha, a 51-year-old big-game hunter, died tragically when an African elephant crushed him. He was leading a group of hunters in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, when they encountered a herd of breeding elephants. As three elephants charged at them, Botha fired his gun. But while everyone was focused on them, a fourth elephant attacked from the side, lifting Botha with her trunk. Another hunter shot the elephant, causing her to fall—right on top of Botha, killing him instantly.

Botha started hunting in the 1980s to support himself while studying Psychology and Anthropology. Later, he turned his passion into a business called Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris. His company specialized in hunting leopards and lions using trained dogs to track and corner the animals for hunters. His business expanded across Africa, including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Mozambique.

Botha left behind his wife and five children. After his death, his friends and community posted messages of sympathy online. However, his profession was controversial, and many people criticized his involvement in trophy hunting.

African elephants are considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A century ago, there were millions of elephants in Africa, but today only around 350,000 remain. Their population decline is mainly due to habitat loss, as human expansion reduces their access to land, food, and water. Climate change also affects their survival by altering their environment.

Another major threat is human conflict. Farmers often kill elephants to protect their crops, leading to deaths on both sides. Additionally, poaching for ivory has had a devastating impact. Thousands of elephants are killed each year by poachers who sell their tusks illegally, contributing to their rapid decline.

Some believe that allowing wealthy hunters to legally kill a limited number of elephants could actually help conservation efforts. The idea is that money from these hunts could fund conservation projects and provide jobs for local communities, reducing the need for poaching.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature supports this approach. They argue that properly regulated hunting can provide financial incentives to protect elephant populations and their habitats. A hunting trip in Zimbabwe can cost over $37,000, with hunters paying around $14,500 per elephant they kill.

Melville Saayman, a tourism and economics professor in South Africa, claims that in areas where hunting is allowed, animal populations tend to increase. He argues that when hunting is banned, wildlife suffers because people no longer see the value in protecting it.