A Kentucky hunter faced criticism after sharing photos of herself smiling beside a black giraffe she had hunted and killed. In a television interview, she defended her actions, claiming she was supporting conservation efforts.
Auto DraftIn 2018, a South African news outlet, Africland Post, tweeted images of a woman posing with a dead black giraffe and a rifle. The woman, described as a "white American savage," was Tess Thompson Talley, a hunter from Kentucky.
Talley explained that she had hunted the giraffe in South Africa a year before the photos gained attention on social media, asserting that it was a form of "conservation hunting."
The response was immediate and harsh. Talley received death threats, her home address was leaked online, and efforts were made to get her fired from her job by contacting her employer. Recently, Talley and her hunting hobby were back in the spotlight following an interview with CBS This Morning.
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During the interview, Talley showed the news crew around her home, proudly displaying a custom-made gun case crafted from the skin of the black giraffe she had killed. She mentioned having decorative pillows made from the giraffe's hide, stating that they were well-received by visitors.
"He was delicious," Talley, wearing a white fur coat, described the giraffe. "He really was. Not only was he beautiful and majestic, but he was good. We all take pictures with our harvest. It's what we do, it's what we've always done. There's nothing wrong with that."
Naturally, her newfound fame has reignited public outcry.
"It's a hobby, it's something that I love to do. It's conservation and this hunt in particular was a conservation hunt," Talley said.
She contended that hunting and killing these majestic animals allow people like her to gain a deeper appreciation for them.
"Everybody thinks that the easiest part is pulling the trigger. And it's not," Talley shared. "That's the hardest part. But you gain so much respect and so much appreciation for that animal because you know what that animal is going through. They are put here for us. We harvest them, we eat them."
"White american savage who is partly a neanderthal comes to Africa and shoot down a very rare black giraffe coutrsey of South Africa stupidity. Her name is Tess Thompson Talley. Please share pic.twitter.com/hSK93DOOaz," was shared by AfricaDigest (@africlandpost) on June 16, 2018.
When questioned by a news anchor about the apparent contradiction between her conservation rhetoric and her evident pleasure in hunting, Talley stood firm.
"It's tough, it's a science, it's really hard," Talley said. "I'm not a conservationist, I'm a hunter so I do my part. Conservationists need us hunters."
Talley is just one example of hunters who see themselves as champions of nature. Throughout history, figures like Theodore Roosevelt, known for his extensive hunting exploits in Africa, have celebrated hunting as a form of conservation.
While some argue that sport hunting contributes to conservation, others remain skeptical.
In regions like Africa, governments often permit hunters to kill specific animals, typically older or problematic specimens, in exchange for a fee. One infamous case is the dentist who paid $50,000 to hunt and kill Cecil the Lion.
For some, this arrangement seems mutually beneficial: hunters enjoy their sport, while conservationists receive funding for their work. Some landowners even support trophy hunting as a means of managing wildlife populations on their properties.
However, critics argue that wildlife preservation can be achieved without resorting to hunting. Eco-tourism, for instance, supports conservation without harming animals.
Auto DraftIndeed, studies have demonstrated that communities generate significantly more revenue from eco-tourism than from hunting.
According to reports from Huffington Post, tourism contributed 6.4 percent to Zimbabwe's GDP in 2013, while hunting only accounted for a meager 0.2 percent.
Humane Society President and CEO Kitty Block criticized the notion that killing animals contributes to their conservation. "The idea that killing an animal is a way to sustain them? It's a flawed argument and it will always jeopardize that animal. As long as [the animal's] parts are valued to many, to some more than the living animal, we've put a price tag on that animal's head."
While hunting may have some benefits for the conservation of smaller species, larger animals like lions, elephants, and giraffes have suffered population declines due to trophy hunting.
"I'm not against trophy hunting," stated lion biologist Craig Packer. "There's got to be a middle ground."
