SOUTH AFRICA:SUIKERBORSRAND NATURE RESERVES ALLOWS ARCHERS TO HUNT AND USE ANIMALS AS TARGETS

Record ID: 636763

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA:SUIKERBORSRAND NATURE RESERVES ALLOWS ARCHERS TO HUNT AND USE ANIMALS AS TARGETS
  • Date: 1st June 1998
  • Summary: SUIKERBORSRAND NATURE RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (RTV) WIDE OF ENTRANCE TO SUIKERBORSRAND NATURE RESERVE/ SIGN SAYING SUIKERBORSRAND (2 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF WILDLIFE IN NATURE RESERVE ( 4 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF ARCHERS ARRIVING AT NATURE RESERVE (2 SHOTS) SMV PROFESSIONAL ARCHER BERNARD DESOUZA WITH BOW VARIOUS, PROFESSIONAL BOW HUNTER BERNARD DESOUZA PRACTISING AIMING ON TARGETS (4 SHOTS) SCU ARROW HITTING TARGET VARIOUS, BERNARD DESOUZA HITTING TARGETS (2 SHOTS0 SCU CURRENT ARCHERY WORLD CHAMPION VERNON MARITZ WITH BOW SCU (ENGLISH ) MARITZ SAYING " PEOPLE DON'T REALISE WHAT BOW HUNTING'S ALL ABOUT. WHEN AN ARROW STRIKES AN ANIMAL, BASICALLY THE ANIMAL GETS THE FRIGHT OF THE ARROW HITTING AGAINST THE SKIN. THAT'S WHAT CAUSES THE THUMP NOISE AND USUALLY THE ARROW PASSES CLEAN THROUGH THE ANIMAL, WHICH WILL RUN FIFTEEN TO TWENTY YARDS. AS HE RUNS HE WILL LOOK TO SEE WHAT CAUSED THE NOISE AND HE'LL BE STANDING LOOKING TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED AND THEN THE NEXT MINUTE HE'LL FALL OVER. YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T REALISE HE'S BUSY DYING BECAUSE OF HAEMORRHAGING INSIDE HIS BODY. IT'S A HUMANE SPORT. IT'S NOT WHAT IT'S MADE OUT TO BE." (3 SHOTS) SLV PARK OFFICIALS TALKING SLV DESOUZA WALKING WITH BOW AND ARROW SCU BOWS AND ARROWS LYING ON WALL WIDE OF KUDUS GRAZING IN DISTANCE SCU (ENGLISH) DESOUZA SAYING " THE KUDU IS ONE OF THE MOST GRACEFUL ANIMALS IN THE BUSH. HE'S GOT A NICKNAME. THEY CALL HIM THE GHOST OF THE BUSH BECAUSE HE APPEARS AND DISAPPEARS. IT'S A CHALLENGE EVEN FOR A RIFLE HUNTER TO SHOOT A KUDU BULL SO IF YOU COULD ACHIEVE IT WITH A BOW, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS TO SAY YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SHOT A KUDU BULL". SLV DESOUZA AND PARK RANGER GOING HUNTING VARIOUS, DESOUZA AND PARK RANGER STALKING KUDU (3 SHOTS) WIDE OF KUDU SEEN IN DISTANCE VARIOUS, DESOUZA AND PARK RANGER SPOT A KUDU/ THEY FOLLOW KUDU/ KUDU RUNS AWAY/ DESOUZA SHOOTS (3 SHOTS) SLV DESOUZA AND RANGER WALKING TO DEAD KUDO ON GROUND CLOSE / PAN OF DESOUZA AND DEAD ANIMAL SCU (ENGLISH) DESOUZA SAYING IT FEELS GREAT. IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT. I'VE WAITED MANY YEARS FOR THIS AND I HAVE NEVER SHOT ONE WITH A RIFLE BEFORE AND IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE AND A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE." VARIOUS, RANGER PHOTOGRAPHING DESOUZA WITH DEAD KUDU VARIOUS, DESOUZA WITH PARK RANGER PUTTING ON CAMOFLAGE HEAD WEAR SCU )ENGLISH) NOMVULA MOKONYANE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT, GAUTENG PROVINCE SAYING " WE HAVE FOUND BOW HUNTING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER FORMS OF HUNTING WHERE THE HUNTER IS ABLE TO BE AT QUITE A CLOSE RANGE WITH THE TARGET AND ALSO THE MEANS THAT IS BEING USED INFLICTS LESS PAIN AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS A SUPPORT FROM A NATURE CONSERVATION ASSISTANT IN THE EVENT WHERE THE ANIMAL DOESN'T DIE INSTANTLY." VARIOUS, DESOUZA AND PARK RANGER LIFTING DEAD KUDU VARIOUS, OF DEAD KUDU IN 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VAN (3 SHOTS) VARIOUS OF VAN DRIVING OFF 00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 16th June 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: SUIKERBORSRAND NATURE RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Environment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2HOETFZPK3YD9VF9KQ7VPCLS
  • Story Text: Bow hunters in South Africa have taken the ancient sport of archery back to its origins.
    Instead of shooting at stationary objects, they're now using live animals as targets.
    As a result, the sport has attracted much criticism from animal rights groups.
    ------------------------------------------------------------ Suikerborsrand Nature Reserve, 50 kilometres south of Johannesburg.
    Here, just about every species of animal roams freely throughout the 13-thousand hectares that makes up one of the country's largest game parks.
    But now there's another species roaming the reserve that's causing quite a stir among animal lovers - and creating controversy in the corridors of conservation.
    Archery, a sport made popular in America and featured more prominently at the Olympic games, today has a following of over 4-million world wide.
    Here in South Africa though, archery has taken the sport back to its origins.
    Instead of shooting at a stationary object, they're now using live animals as targets.
    Vernon Maritz is one of South Africa's best bow hunters.
    The current archery world champion, Maritz insists his favourite sport has been misunderstood by the outside world.
    CAPTION: VERNON MARITZ - 1997 ARCHERY WORLD CHAMPION
    "PEOPLE DON'T REALISE WHAT BOW HUNTING'S ALL ABOUT. WHEN AN ARROW STRIKES AN ANIMAL BASICALLY THE ANIMAL GETS THE FRIGHT OF THE ARROW HITTING AGAINST THE SKIN. THAT'S WHAT CAUSES THE THUMP NOISE AND USUALLY THE ARROW PASSES CLEAN THROUGH THE ANIMAL, WHICH WILL RUN FIFTEEN TO TWENTY YARDS. AS HE RUNS HE WILL LOOK TO SEE WHAT CAUSED THE NOISE AND HE'LL BE STANDING LOOKING TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED AND THEN HE'LL FALL OVER. YOU KNOW, HE DOESN'T REALISE HE'S TOO BUSY DYING BECAUSE OF HAEMORRHAGING INSIDE HIS BODY. IT'S A HUMANE SPORT. IT'S NOT WHAT IT'S MADE OUT TO BE." (ENGLISH) It's the kind of sentiment that doesn't hold well among animal rights activists.
    But this hasn't diminished the popularity of the sport.
    Bernard Desouza has been a professional bow hunter now for over six years.
    He says stalking an animal for days and finally killing it from a few metres away is a great source of satisfaction for him.
    But he admits there is one animal that's considered the ultimate prize for all hunters.
    CAPTION: BERNARD DESOUZA BOW HUNTER
    "THE KUDU IS ONE OF THE MOST GRACEFUL ANIMALS IN THE BUSH.
    HE'S GOT A NICKNAME. THEY CALL HIM THE GHOST OF THE BUSH BECAUSE HE APPEARS AND DISAPPEARS. IT'S A CHALLENGE EVEN FOR A RIFLE HUNTER TO SHOOT A KUDU BULL SO IF YOU COULD ACHIEVE IT WITH A BOW, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS TO SAY YOU HAVE SHOT A KUDU BULL." (ENGLISH) Desouza got his chance to go kudu hunting after paying the required local fee of a thousand dollars, or six-thousand for foreigners, to hunt in the reserve.
    This is what hunters refer to as "walk and stalk". The two professional hunters stalk their prey very much the same way a predator would, only this time using camouflage and bows and arrows rather then rifles.
    Halfway through day one, the two spot their prey in the distance.
    The hunt is now in full swing. Every move from here on is critical.
    As they approach their prey, suddenly the kudo sees them and takes off.
    But the hunters are just as quick.
    An arrow tipped with a razor-sharp steel head travelling at a speed of 90 metres per second is enough to do the job.
    Today Desouza is the victor and to the victor go the spoils.
    CAPTION: BERNARD DESOUZA BOW HUNTER
    "IT FEELS GREAT. IT'S, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT.
    I'VE WAITED MANY YEARS FOR THIS AND I HAVE NEVER SHOT ONE WITH A RIFLE BEFORE AND IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGE AND A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE." (ENGLISH) Park officials insist a ranger is required to be with the bow hunter at all times with his rifle at hand.
    CAPTION: NOMVULA MOKONYANE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENT, GAUTENG PROVINCE
    "WE HAVE FOUND BOW HUNTING AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO OTHER FORMS OF HUNTING WHERE THE HUNTER IS ABLE TO BE AT QUITE A CLOSE RANGE WITH THE TARGET AND ALSO THE MEANS THAT IS BEING USED INFLICTS LESS PAIN AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS A SUPPORT FROM A NATURE CONSERVATION ASSISTANT IN THE EVENT WHERE THE ANIMAL DOESN'T DIE INSTANTLY." (ENGLISH) Still, a number of organisations, among them the Animal Anti-Cruelty League, feel the government is letting them down when granting licenses to individuals who hunt for pleasure.
    This sport may have as many opponents as it does supporters.
    But one thing is clear.
    With all the money paid towards the various park fees, it does provide a useful addition to the national park's scarce resources.
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