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| Canned Hunting in New York State Killing trapped animals for fun? |
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New York recently took a small but inadequate step toward eliminating the "sport" of canned hunting, falling short of abolishing the horrific practice altogether. The new law bans canned hunting operations on land smaller than ten acres but allows the practice to continue on larger, enclosed parcels of land. In a canned hunt, tame, exotic mammals are hunted down and shot in fenced enclosures in order to obtain a trophy. Since the animals are confined to a fenced-in area, the kills are often guaranteed. I can think of no other practice that is more ethically indefensible, morally repugnant and blatantly cruel than killing defenseless animals in a caged area. Where is the "sport" to this activity? The rules of fair chase that govern hunting forbid hunting from motorized vehicles and aircraft, baiting waterfowl or spotlighting deer. Canned hunting violates the concepts of fair chase and sportsmanship and should be banned altogether as it has been in many states.
On the national scene, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) estimates that there are more than 1,000 hunting ranches scattered across more than 25 states, all offering opportunities to shoot confined exotic mammals. On these canned-hunt operations, which range in size from an acre to more than 10,000 acres, participants shoot tame or habituated animals for a fee, in "no kill, no pay" arrangements. The fees can be substantial. For example, killing a gazelle costs from $800 to $3,500; a Cape Buffalo, $5,000; a Angora Goat, $325; and a Corsican Sheep, $500. The more exotic the animal, an African lion or giraffe, for instance, the higher the price. Since many of these cruel hunting practices conveniently do not fall under the jurisdiction of state agriculture or fish and wildlife departments and because many of these animals are moved in interstate commerce, traditionally an area of Congressional oversight, Representatives George Brown (D-CA) and Porter Goss (R-FL) have introduced as HR 1202, The Captive Exotic Animal Protection Act of 1999, which would make it illegal to knowingly transfer, transport, or possess in interstate or foreign commerce a confined exotic mammal "for the purpose of allowing the killing or injuring of that animal for entertainment or the collection of a trophy. . . " What You Can Do Contact your New York State legislators and tell them that the current canned hunting bill is too limited to provide effective protection., that the bill must be amended to outlaw hunting on all human-made enclosures, regardless of size and point out that other states have banned canned hunting and there is no reason New York cannot follow suit. Contact Information Joseph L. Bruno, Majority Leader, The Senate, State of New York. Albany, NY 12247, 518-455-3191 or e-mail: bruno@senate.state.ny.us. Sheldon Silver, Speaker The Assembly State of New York, Legislative Office Building, Room 932, Albany, NY 12248, 518-455-3791 or e-mail: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us. Assemblyman Michael Bragman, Legislative Office Building, Room 926, Albany, NY 12248, 518-455-4567 or e-mail: bragman@assembly.state.ny.us Bob DeFranco is an animal behavior therapist, executive director of the Animal Behavior Center of New York and president of the American Foundation for Animal Rescue, Inc. in Queens. Watch him on Pet Talk Live, Wednesdays at 8:30 PM on Channel 34 in Queens and listen to him on the new radio talk show It's About Animals on NewsTalk 1050 WEVD AM on Saturdays at 5:00 PM. Questions or comments? Write P.O. Box 7623, Rego Park, NY 11374 or e-mail him at: bob@canines.com |
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