Should zoos be allowed to sell or giveaway their old, unwanted or overstocked animals at auction? What stops animal buyers from re-selling the exotic animals to canned hunt farms in the U.S. so they can be used as target practice for unskilled weekend hunters? These exotic wild animals have been hand-fed most all of the miserable lives so it is not unusual for a killer, so-called sportsman, to walk right up to and blow away the trophy animal of their choice, at times, virtually at point blank range because the weekend hunter is unskilled at his killing craft.
Of course, the ruthless killers will go back to work and tell their buddies all about how they bagged the big game on safari, possibly neglecting to tell them the kill took place on a few acre farm somewhere in Texas or Florida where most of these canned hunt farms exist.
These exotic wild animals are so frightened and tame they have to be dragged from their cage and shot on the spot. Some may even have to be shot while still in their cages. Famous movie stars have even participated in these horrific acts and have been caught on videotape shouting with glee, giggling like children as they chase down and torment frightened, penned-up animals for that long awaited “kill shot”.
To watch on film how these cowardly, unskilled characters may end up killing exotic trophy animals, especially with a bow and arrow can be tough to watch. Some killers hit their beloved wall trophy with so many arrows without striking a fatal blow that the animal looks like a pin cushion as it stands there bellowing and crying out in excruciating horrific pain, whimpering, quivering, dazed and confused, begging to be put out its misery.
These weekend hunters are too often such poor shots that oftentimes the canned hunt farm owner/operator may have to eventually walk right up to the animal, take out his hand gun, put it to the animal’s heart and put it out of its misery at point blank range to once and for all end the senseless torture.
Zoos contribute to canned hunt farms by allowing its surplus animals to end up here as undignified targets for weekend hunters. Making matters worse zoos will not even acknowledge that they know where their surplus animals even end up, or do they even want to know?
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: CBS-TV DOCUMENTARY “GUNS OF AUTUMN”