Cecil, Scarface, Sekoti: Does giving animals ‘human faces’ help or harm? :: Mmegi Online

While the humanisation of wild animals in nature documentaries has helped draw more attention to issues of conservation and the lives of these species, wildlife scientists and academics argue that these widely popular films are often doctored to heighten emotions, portray animals as constantly facing death and exclude human communities living with the animals. Staff Writer, MBONGENI MGUNI explains why this debate is particularly critical in Botswana

In 2015, the killing of a lion in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland North province created a perfect global storm of protest, with major titles such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and many others running front-page outrage pieces on the incident.Western animal rights activists, enraged by the hunting of the lion, demanded action from their governments against trophy hunting with France and the Netherlands responding by banning the importation of trophies into their countries.

The United States went further, with airlines there refusing to carry animal trophies and the legislature passing the Cecil Act restricting imports of lion and other species’ trophies.

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