11 Feb 2019
Wealthy businessman condemned for killing two ‘baby’ elephants on hunting trip
https://metro.co.uk/2019/02/11/wealthy-businessman-condemned-for-killing-two-baby-elephants-on-hunting-trip-8530554/
Quote:
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Jines, who is from Alpharetta, Georgia, said he shot the elephants, who were believed to be babies, in Zimbabwe in October 2018 – and has responded to backlash by saying the killings were in self-defense.
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elephants-mike-jines-hunted-shot-dead-zimbabwe-africa-max-delezenne-topgen-energy-a8774336.html
Quote:
In 2014 when US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) officials banned imports of hunted elephants, a Mike Jines was among those objecting.
“Without a strong show of outrage by hunters, the USFWS will just be emboldened to continue down the path of nibbling away at the rights of sport hunters,” he wrote.
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https://www.cbs46.com/news/safari-hunter-with-ga-ties-threatened-over-elephant-kill-pics/article_3b0e758e-1d96-11e9-9f1a-4b3e66c2c306.html
Quote:
“The two elephant that are shown in the photos were shot in self-defense, in an unprovoked charge and both elephants were fully mature cows, not juveniles.” Jines, who communicated with CBS46 by email, said the elephants were shot in a designated safari area in Zimbabwe and the hunt was conducted in full compliance with laws and regulations in both Zimbabwe and the U.S............................
The hunt started with a bang . . . literally. Less than thirty minutes into the first morning of the first day we experienced a double elephant cow charge. This was obviously a first for me but it turns out it was a first for Buzz as well. We saw a group of cows from the road and decided to follow them to see if a tuskless was in the group. We caught them quickly and identified a tuskless. We positioned ourselves to get a good look at the tuskless and concluded that since it was just Day 1 we would pass. An instant later she came in an all out charge. Buzz and I both fired two shots a piece and she went down. Then from behind us a large one-tusked cow charged at full speed. We each fired one shot and she crashed to the ground with her hind legs out behind her, indicating the speed and determination of her charge. The two cows were less than forty feet apart with Buzz and I in the middle. Fortunately we had positioned ourselves in some open ground so we had good visibility when the charges came. Certainly a little more excitement than we had bargained for on Day 1.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6688759/Businessman-seen-holding-gun-two-dead-elephants-claims-killed-self-defense.html
The layout of the dead elephants could match his story, but the apparent age of the elephants does not in my opinion.
Strangely, I could not find an article that quotes an expert on elephants to dispute Jines's claims about the age and behavior of elephants.
Fact free reporting frustrates me.
I know a guy that lost a thumb holding a gun like that, unloaded or not, it's a bad habit to develop in my opinion.