There is great concern among those who work towards protecting animals because Josh and Sarah Bowmar, two American hunters, have said that they killed the biggest crocodile worldwide during their hunting trip in Tanzania.
The couple from Ohio is infamous for engaging in hunting activities that have invited a lot of criticism in the past. They took to social media with videos showing what they call the world’s largest reptile suspended from a tree. In his video, Josh Bowmar uses a bow and says, “This is an absolute dinosaur… they don’t get bigger than this.”
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A Trophy Too Far?
The footages that are now all over Instagram show how the huge crocodile was being pulled by a Land Cruiser then tied on a tree apparently for some photography. By indicating that it occurred in a natural setting with no fences around, the couple bragged of having done “100 percent free ranging” hunt.
Critics have described this as an immoral and troubling act which appears to glorify the killing of at risk species. Even though hunting crocodiles for trophies is allowed under strict regulations within Tanzanian law, social media posts made boldly by the Bowmars have revived arguments on moral hunting and exploitation of nature.
Official Response Underway
An anonymous senior official from the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (Tawa) has acknowledged that they were looking into the matter. “We have seen the video clip. We are investigating and will provide a full statement once everything is verified,” said the official before raising concerns about the Tanzanian public spreading it even further.
A History of Controversy
The Bowmars have been in trouble before over different issues. In America, they were fined heavily earlier in the year—more than Tsh 350 million (£260,000)— for engaging in over forty illegal hunts across Nebraska. On top of that, they received probation and community service sentences.
In 2016, they became famous when they speared to death a black bear and then posted a very graphic video about it online, which caused much uproar.
Ethics and Ecosystem Under Threat
According to conservationists, such incidences are detrimental to Tanzania's position as a leading country in wildlife tourism manifestation. Although legally permissible trophy hunting can be beneficial for conservation funding under some circumstances; its promotion through such means is seen otherwise by many.
“Boasting about killing apex predators for clout on social media fosters a culture of desensitization toward wildlife,” said one Tanzanian conservation advocate. “It diminishes the respect we should hold for these ancient creatures and their role in the ecosystem.”
The long-term effects on biodiversity in Tanzania’s delicate ecosystems due to questionable hunting practices are also of concern to environmentalists today.
Final Word
It is not yet known if the Bowmars’ crocodile breaks any world record. Nevertheless, one thing is for sure; their most recent activity raises serious concerns about Tanzania’s hunting policies and wildlife morals. This event will remind people of the problems related to following international laws on protecting nature from harm when such regulations are viewed against a backdrop of legal hunting that takes place but is very controversial today and under high levels of global monitoring befalling rich natural heritage nations.