The Trophy Hunter's Prize
Poem About the Cruelty of Trophy Hunting
THE TROPHY HUNTER'S PRIZE
As the lion succumbed
under the hunter’s steady gaze,
slowly stumbling to the ground,
the hunter stood still...
unmoved was he
by the last broken breath
of this lion’s agonizing death.
His chest drenched with blood
from the sharp arrows
of the hunter’s
unremitting device of death...
whose only aim is to kill.
As the hunter looked down
at this lion’s broken body,
lying so lifeless...
his expressionless face
now erupted in a self-absorbed smile...
thinking about how he could brag about his kill-
and tell everyone what
a challenge it was,
even a thrill...
to kill such an animal.
What a trophy it would make
with such a size!
Surely, he had won
the ultimate prize.
This lion, a king of all beasts,
would look great mounted on his wall.
What a triumph, what a feat...
in his mind, the undisputed victor,
over this glorious beast-
whom he had brought to such defeat.
The lion’s pride waited anxiously
for their leader to return-
their eyes and ears alert for
any signs of him...
as the long day slowly
vanished into the night...
but their beloved leader
remained out of sight.
His cubs now knew fear.
Their father and protector...
did not appear
and the smell of death drew near.
A once strong and proud lion was he...
father and protector of his pride,
a leader of all-
now becoming only...
a trophy hunter’s prize
with his head mounted on a wall.
-Lora Hollings
We Need Another and Wiser Concept of Animals
“We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate for having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein do we err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.”
― Henry Beston
Dying to Be Free - Song to Save Lions and Wildlife against Trophy Hunting!
Should Trophy Hunting of Lions Be Allowed?
How You Can Help End Trophy Hunting
Sign the petition calling for countries to end trophy hunting and to stop the import of trophies from threatened or CITES-listed species.
https://www.bornfree.org.uk/trophy-hunting
Questions & Answers
Comments
AUTHORNo, it never makes sense nor can it ever be justified to wantonly take an animal's life just to make a trophy out of it! Most of these beautiful animals are endangered now as they are in a precarious position with so much of their habitat being destroyed, taken by people, and with the pressures of global warming, hunting these animals could very well tip the scale. And what about the legacy we are leaving our children? Thanks for stopping by Denise and your comment is greatly appreciated. Blessings.
“Life is as dear to the mute creature as it is to a man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not to die, so do other creatures.” -His Holiness The Dalai Lama
"Our task must be to free ourselves... by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty." -Albert Einstein
This was a very profound and heart-rending poem. My father was a hunter but only for food, never for trophies. I love that about him. I could see killing animals for food, survival, or self-defense. But for sport and trophies... it just doesn't make sense.
Blessings,
Denise
The human being, the only animal that kills for the sake of it!
- AUTHOR
Thank you so much Tim for your kind and insightful comment on this blood sport which is a sad reflection on mankind and his selfish indulgence over our better nature...to treat other species’ lives with respect and with foresight to the future. Is it morally defensible to take an animal’s life just so that we can make a trophy of it? What will be the longterm consequences of such a devaluing of their lives just so that some can indulge their whims no matter what the cost. These species cannot sustain all of the destruction that we continue to wreak on them- destruction of habitat, deforestation, captivity, the exotic pet trade and hunting for the sheer vanity of it. I hope that we can collectively raise our voices and bring about changes to our laws that will finally protect these animals before it’s too late.
Hi, Lora, great article. Reading your article made me think about all of the endangered species on our planet and how we arrogantly used their carcasses to prop up our superiority. A head mounted on the wall is an empty thing - void of life, stolen potential for motion, lack of purpose. Perhaps, in this, I favor the Native Americans' perspective - take no more from the land that you need. Sport hunting is an insult to intelligent management of our resources. Your article underscores this well.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Tim
- AUTHOR
Thank you very much, Kevin, for your generous comment. With all of the magnificent lions who have been killed in Africa such as Cecil, his son, and many other endangered or threatened species just so these hunters can hang a trophy on their wall does not speak well for humanity and along with other factors is putting their already low numbers at even greater risk. Scientists are predicting that lions may become extinct by the year 2050.
This is a tour de force piece. The compelling poetry and the imagery reveals an important message... how the twisted minds of trophy hunters turn magnificent animals into trophies to satisfy their lust for killing. Lora captures line-by-line in this remarkable work the coldness of these people with their "self-absorbed smiles" and how they are incapable of empathizing with another sentient being. This is poetry that cries out for action and compels each one of us to help in any way we can to stop these killings.
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- AUTHOR
Thank you, Lorna, for stopping by and leaving a comment for my article, “The Trophy Hunter’s Prize." I’m truly honored that my article touched you and I hope that it does put the spotlight on this blood sport that mercilessly takes the lives of so many animals every year; animals whose populations are already very threatened and leaves in its wake orphan cubs who often pay the ultimate price as they are left without protection or other support that is essential to their survival. Since, these majestic animals are a part of our world rich in diversity and beauty, and a natural treasure that we don’t want to lose and want to see passed on to our descendants, then I believe we must all speak out for these animals and do what we can to bring an end to such an appalling waste of lives.
This article really touched me and draws attention to this very cruel sport. A world without these wonderful animals and many other endangered animals would be a very sad one. Thank you for sharing.
- AUTHOR
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Flourish. Hundreds of endangered animals which include lions, rhinoceroses, elephants, polar bears, leopards, and giraffes are killed every year for trophies! We are not only robbing these animals of their lives and pushing these species ever closer to extinction but we are also robbing future generations of the opportunity to see these extraordinary animals who enrich our lives with their presence.
Heartbreaking. It makes me wish that karma would rain down upon those who do harm upon these beautiful animals. The images live with me for a long time.
- AUTHOR
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your thoughtful comment, Velcro. Mankind does need to examine his motives for taking any action that can hurt and cause death to another life. Selfishness can often lead us down a very destructive path and the consequences are serious and can have a lasting effect. We need to drastically change our relationship with nature and the life that inhabits it- one that shows respect for the welfare of wildlife and their rights to live and care for their young. For many years, man has exploited nature and has plundered her beauty and diversity of life. We have taken so much more than we have given! We must change our attitudes and our actions now to reflect a new understanding and appreciation of the miracle of nature or we risk losing so much!
A very strong message in a the form a very mournful tale . I hope the present scenario changes and changes for the good . Your poem really does question the selfish deeds of man and we must all strive to establish a cooperative relation with nature.... Thank you sharing !
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