Big game hunter Melissa Bachman is under fire once again for posting a photo of herself posing with a lion she killed in Africa.
Melissa Bachman
Bachman posted the photo to her Facebook and Twitter accounts, describing the shoot:
An incredible day hunting in South Africa!! Stalked inside 60-yards on this beautiful male lion…what a hunt!
Although the image was posted on November 1, it began circulating heavily around November 15 when a change.org petition was created by South African resident Elan Burman.
The petition request the government of South Africa to deny Bachman future entry into the country.
Melissa Bachman has made a career out of hunting wildlife, for pure sport. Her antics are captured extensively on her personal website: http://www.melissabachman.com/. She is an absolute contradiction to the culture of conservation, this country prides itself on. Her latest Facebook post features her with a lion she has just executed and murdered in our country.
Bachman has not yet responded to the petition, although she has since posted additional hunting photos online.
In August 2012, Bachman was dropped from a NatGeo reality series called “Ultimate Survivor Alaksa” in part due to a similar petition to “Stop the Melissa Bachman show from broadcasting.” NatGeo issued the following press release in response to that petition:
Fans, The National Geographic Channel has carefully considered the public discussion of our series on surviving the wilds of Alaska currently in production and premiering sometime next year. Upon further reflection we plan to eliminate one of the survivalists from the ensemble cast, Melissa Bachman. Hunting is not the focus of the show, and we regret the misinformation that has clouded what we hope will be an exciting adventure series set in the incredible Alaskan landscape.
Bachman Supporters
Melissa Bachman isn’t without her defenders. The Maroi Conservancy, which organized the hunt, points out that it was legal and on private property, and that “all meat from animals hunted is distributed to the local community. Funds generated from hunting goes towards fixing the border fence that was washed away in the 2013 floods; combating poaching which is excessive in this area due to close proximity to Zimbabwe and running a sustainable conservancy.”
Debate over the Bachman photos are reminiscent of controversy that followed Donald Trump’s sons when similar hunting photos were posted last year, or when the Dallas Safari Club drew criticism by auctioning off the chance to hunt a critically endangered black rhino just last month.
Bachman can currently be seen on Winchester Deadly Passion on the Pursuit Network.
What are your thoughts on Melissa Bachman’s photos and the reaction to them?
Sources
- Melissa Bachman Forced Off Nat Geo’s ‘Ultimate Survivor Alaska’ by Anti-Hunting Activist and Online Petition (Mike Piccione, Daily Caller: September 5, 2012)
- Show presenter Melissa Bachman slammed after posting photo of lion she killed in South Africa (David Harding, NY Daily News: November 16, 2013)
- Ignorant Anti-Hunters Freak Out Over Woman Who Legally Killed a Lion (Katie Pavlich, TownHall.com: November 18, 2013)
- Maroi Conservancy (Facebook page)
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