All animal lovers are against trophy hunting. It’s sometimes hard to believe that there are people who enjoy killing endangered species like lions and rhinos.
This “sport” has brought many species to the brink of extinction, but despite controversy and opposition from conservation organizations, this form of hunting remains legal in many places.
But sometimes the animal kingdom has its own sense of justice… and one hunter has met his end in what can be described as “karma.”
Scott Van Zyl was a prolific trophy hunter from South Africa. In addition to being a hunter himself, Van Zyl ran a “safari” business where he also took clients on big game hunts.
His targets were lions, cheetahs, giraffes, and elephants.
In 2017, Van Zyl went on one of his hunting trips in Zimbabwe… but this time, he did not return.
According to the BBC, the hunter set out with some dogs and a local tracker. He went alone in search of crocodiles, and he was reported missing when his tracking dogs returned without him.
They found his footprints and bag on the riverbank. Local authorities investigated the crocodiles… and found human remains that DNA testing confirmed belonged to Van Zyl.
After his story came to light, many people wrote that he deserved it: that it was karma for killing so many animals.
One Green Planet was not happy about the hunter’s death, but they said that this case proves why we should not allow trophy hunting: it unnecessarily puts the lives of hunters at risk.
“Let’s be honest, Zyl shouldn’t have been hunting in the first place,” they wrote. “We need to ask ourselves if the ‘thrill of the hunt’ is really worth putting your own life on the line – while deliberately taking the lives of others.”
What do you think of this story? Did this hunter deserve it? Share this story with your unfiltered opinion!
