PETA released this statement in the wake of Cecil the Lion’s death, saying the dentist who hunted and killed the animal should be killed.

PETA’s  statement pretty much sums up what many people feel about Walter Palmer, the dentist who paid for a trophy hunt in Africa that resulted in the death of Cecil the Lion, a much-beloved big cat. Palmer paid $50,000 for the hunt which included an elephant.  The elephant chosen for him by his guides was deemed too small for Palmer so he left Africa without attempting to shoot one.

Interestingly enough this quote comes from PETA who stole a man’s pet dog and killed him in their van!  PETA also believes all pit bulls should be euthanized upon entering shelters but they condemn this hunter!  More about PETA later.

Palmer has been in hiding since the backlash hit the airwaves last week when he became an instant hit on social media or should I say “target” with a bulls eye laser-focused on him.  He has had to shut down his dental office for now.  He is nowhere to be found unlike Cecil the Lion who was lured out of captivity, shot and later killed by him.

Since this news story broke last week, I have seen this be the top story on the news many times by most media outlets pushing for the extradition of Palmer to Africa in hopes he will be charged for the poaching of Cecil.

Angry and out for blood describes how protesters outside his dental office last Friday feel toward Palmer.

My goals have always been to create awareness about these issues regarding animals so people might gain a better understanding of the vicious cruelty that happens to animals as a result of humans. I’ve covered many, many topics via my articles, my TV show, guest appearances on other TV and radio programs and as a guest speaker.  I stand up for animals and aim to be one (among others) voice for them.

While I stand firmly against trophy hunts, this story is out of control since no one is acknowledging the suffering of animals by humans in other ways on a daily basis!!

Think about that for a moment.

I was listening to a radio talk show where teenagers were speaking about Cecil. Most found his death to be disturbing.  When asked if they eat meat, the majority said they did.  Asked if they ever wanted to visit a slaughterhouse (where the animals are treated inhumanely),  they said no. They don’t want to know how their meat made it to their sandwich.  So it’s okay to brutally kill farm animals for their meat, fur and leather, but it isn’t okay to kill a wild animal?  Can anyone please explain this to me?

While the world is outraged over Cecil’s death, what do the people of Zimbabwe think?   According to the Washington Post,  “Cecil is not the first lion that has been lured,” said Ian Michler, a South African conservationist. “It goes on all the time.”  Michler, who made a documentary film called “Blood Lions” that came out this year, said nearly 1,000 lions that are bred in captivity in South Africa are fatally shot every year by trophy seekers for an average of about $20,000, and sometimes up to $50,000, in conditions that can hardly be described as sporting. There is also an increasing phenomenon of lion owners charging tourists, many from Europe but also Australia and the United States, to pet and cuddle cubs earmarked for trophy kills when they get older, he said.

Why is there no backlash over this???

Zimbabwe has so many more pressing issues.  While Eunice Yhunise of Harare (capital of Zimbabwe) finds the death cruel, she doesn’t understand the whole fuss.  “We have water shortages, no electricity and no jobs — yet people are making noise about a lion’s death. “I saw Cecil once when I visited the game park. I will probably miss him. But honestly the attention is just too much.”

Their own residents don’t understand the global anger towards the killing of one lion. Their perspective is different and I believe ours needs to be too.

I don’t condone what Palmer did in any way nor do I agree with trophy hunting.  If he broke a law, he needs to face the consequences, as anyone should. Sadly, our own animal laws aren’t enforced against animal abusers aka puppy mills.

The world wants justice for Cecil but what about justice for the people of Africa?

Five million people die of hunger in Africa every year!  Why isn’t this gaining traction or making news in the media instead of one dead lion?

One million people die of malaria worldwide and 90% of these fatalities are from Africa.  

An economic meltdown over the last few years has closed many companies and left two-thirds of the population working in the informal economy while battling acute water and electricity shortages.

Most people questioned in downtown Harare hadn’t actually heard about the lion and said they were too busy trying to a make living to care about it.

One resident, however, noted that the lions were needed to bring in tourism and Palmer should be fined with the money going toward animal conservation.

“It’s very sad that the American chose to travel all the way to kill our animals,” said Clinton Manyuchi.

As you can clearly see, the people living there don’t have this vested interest or anger as the world does about Cecil’s killer. They are concerned about how they are going to live and survive!

Is your perspective changing a bit? The public is enraged with the 40 hours of suffering Cecil endured before he was shot again and finally died.  Why is the public not hostile or full of hatred over the billions of animals who suffer cruel lives and brutal deaths in factory farms on a daily basis? These factory farms supply your daily dose of meat, fowl, and dairy.

Pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys, cattle, sheep and goats are kept in extreme confinement where some don’t have the capability to turn around or lie down.  They live their entire short lives enduring abusive, inhumane practices so the “farmers” can maximize their profits at the expense of their welfare and our health.

Factory farms typically consist of large numbers of animals being raised in extreme confinement. Animals on factory farms are regarded as commodities to be exploited for profit.

To maximize meat, milk and egg production, the animals are bred to grow unnaturally fast and large which contributes in painful conditions including deformities. They also endure painful mutilations. Because of the brutality in factory farms, there is a high turnover rate for workers.

Inside a turkey slaughterhouse

“Inside the slaughterhouse, the turkeys are hung by their feet from metal shackles on a conveyor belt. Their heads are dunked in the stunning tank, an electrical bath of water. Because too much electricity would damage the turkey’s carcass, therein diminishing its sale value, the electrical current is often set lower than that necessary to render the birds unconscious. Thus many birds emerge from the tank still alert. The turkeys’ throats are then cut. The blade misses some birds, who move on to the next assembly line station, the scalding tank, a cistern of boiling hot water. Those birds, nicknamed “redskins,” are boiled alive.”

Factory farms dominate U.S. food production, employing abusive practices that maximize agribusiness profits at the expense of the environment, our communities, animal welfare, and even our health.

I don’t hear the news talking about the sadistic and vicious ways these farmed animals are treated.  As I said before,  we will never live in a world where no one eats meat.  We need to have better regulations in place and enforced, so animals are treated humanely in these farms, if that’s actually or realistically possible.  You can learn more about factory farming in this video.