Fuck poachers, don't get me wrong, but fucking hell, I wish people had the same kind of energy when it came to billionaires, who are literally responsible for the deaths of millions of humans (by virtue of hoarding so many resources as well as creating and maintaining a system that relies on exploitation and suffering to benefit them and only them).
If only society cared about oppressed and marginalised people as much as it does about cute animals.
Society doesn't care about cute or endangered animals. The rangers represent a minority.
Society doesn’t care about cure or endangered animals
That's bullshit.
I'd agree that not enough people care, but significantly more people care about cute endangered animals than they do marginalised and oppressed human beings.
It doesn't take a study to see the difference in attitudes and engagement (though studies have been done, feel free to invest your own time looking them up).
The fact that you've responded to me to focus on the animals but not on the people my comment is actually about is a perfect illustration of my point.
The fact that you’ve responded to me to focus on the animals but not on the people my comment is actually about is a perfect illustration of my point.
That's all a narrative you created in your head. Besides, many of the same solutions that would protect endangered species would also protect marginalized people. You're trying to make this into a Trolley Dilemmas for some reason. Who do you think are the ones buying dick powder made form Rhino horns?
I, for one, fully support this development.
While I like the idea of every poacher being neutralised, I also understand that the "poach police" may intentionally/inadvertently kill innocents with their blanket immunity; plus many poachers may be poor af hired-guns that aren't the actual source or root cause for the market, and may not dent the trade at all... Hope I'm wrong.
I also understand that the “poach police” may intentionally/inadvertently kill innocents with their blanket immunity;
Is there any evidence that that has been happening? (This article is from 2017, and it mentions "more than 20" poachers being killed in 2015, but doesn't mention any non-poachers being killed, which it seems it would have, given it's talking about the downsides.)
While I agree that taking the fight to the people financing the poaching, reducing the number of poachers - and providing a very clear disincentive for other "poor af" hired-guns to take up the mantle - could still help.
Personally, I don't think any implied sanctity of human life extends to people who are killing endangered animals for profit.
Me, too! It’s epic
We could reduce the numbers of Nazis like this as well. All in favour?
No it isn’t. The WWF is doing this and the result is a bunch of paramilitaries running around killing and raping random people. Not to mention, in Africa, many of the “anti poaching” organizations are run by ex-Rhodesian mercenaries/officers. Just some old white guys who are rich and want to feel powerful by killing black people with immunity and commanding other black people.
I did not expect so many upvoted poacher sympathizers in this thread. I am disappointed.
Poachers aren’t poor. They make assloads of money off their illegitimate trade. They have plenty of skills that could be put to profitable use elsewhere. They simply choose poaching because it is more profitable.
If we don’t protect the planet, it will kill us.
See: recent orca war.
I wasn't there to see them but I can imagine the star trek memes surrounding that were pretty quality
I mean, this is not really a solution. Poachers don't do what they do because they're greedy and hate animals, they do it because they're poor and have often no other choice but to risk their lives to make a living, and they are probably getting something like 10$ per rhino horn. This is a systematic problem perpetually reinforced by the actual people we should be shooting: the millionaires who hire the poachers. They are the ones destroying the environment, exploiting animals and people and reselling those same rhino horns for ridiculous amounts of money on the black market.
Then they should be stealing from the rich. Not killing endangered species.
And at ~ $20000 USD/kg for African and ~400000 USD/kg for Asian, and them not taking the meat. Its definitely for profit and not survival.
Poachers don’t do what they do because they’re greedy and hate animals, they do it because they’re poor and have often no other choice but to risk their lives to make a living,
Well, they're risking their lives, they're losing them in the gamble. No one owes you winning a gamble.
This is a systematic problem perpetually reinforced by the actual people we should be shooting: the millionaires who hire the poachers
Not saying we don't, I'm all in for shooting a millionaire myself; but that doesn't detract from still needing to kill the poachers: we can't leave the reservoires and wild habitats unguarded merely to kill one or two twitter twats, so the job of millionaire killer we have to give to someone else.
Begun, the rhino wars have
Ah, the Hogwarts Legacy approach
Average Hogwarts student: Charms homework is so difficult, but later we're going to prank that annoying ravenclaw by putting slugs in his hat lol.
HL Protagonist: If I can group these goblins and dark wizards together, I can kill a dozen of them with a single killing curse. Excellent!
This would become my full-time job if I ever became independently wealthy.