Auburn Graduate Back From Africa
Auburn University graduate, John Lee, has recently returned from his month long hunting trip in Namibia, Africa. John travels to Namibia every two years with his father to hunt dangerous wildlife and plains game.
Located along the Southern tip of Africa, Namibia is home to some of the world’s most dangerous animals including lions, elephants, hippos, jackals, an array of antelope, wildebeest and warthogs.
John explained the details of his trip. “We basically fly to Africa every two years to hunt big game,” John said. “We rent a Jeep and a guide and hunt anything that is under license for us to kill.” “Zebras, impalas, leopards and cheetahs are all under license to be hunted.”
Some may think the process of hunting wild animals to be inhumane, but John explained the importance of wild game hunters in Africa. “Basically the depopulation of some of these animals is what keeps food on the table for some of these people.” “The government of Namibia has actually tagged and given some of these animals to the people, and when a game hunter kills that resident’s animal, they are paid for it.” “We think of these animals as majestic creatures, but the people there think of them as really dangerous stray dogs and cats.”
Although this seems like it could be safe gun hunting from an enclosed vehicle, African safari hunting is extremely dangerous. “We were outside of the Jeep under a tree and had just shot at a cheetah when a baboon heard the gunshot, “John said. “He apparently became frightened so he climbed down the tree and started chasing us back to the truck.” “He jumped all over the Jeep trying to get to us but soon walked away.” “It was kind of scary not knowing how this animal was going to react.”
Other than hunting, Namibia offers a host of other amenities. “We stayed in a four-star hotel while we were there,” John said. “People think Africa is full of sand dunes, grasslands and bushmen, which is true, but, it has resorts and casinos just like every other place in the world.”
John said he plans to go back to Namibia with his father in two years and will be hunting lions, elephants and rhino this time around.
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