Big game hunter crushed to death

[Al Bundy]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...nter--10469997

A professional big game hunter is dead after he was crushed by a wounded elephant as it was fatally shot.

Theunis Botha, 51, was on a hunt in Gwai, Zimbabwe, when his gro[/URL]up was charged by four breeding elephants.

A female elephant picked up Botha in her trunk after he fired at the others and collapsed on top of him - crushing him to death - after she was shot by another hunter.

Heartbroken friends described the married father-of-five as a "legend", while opponents of big game hunting offered little sympathy following his passing.


Theunis Botha was killed by an elephant when he was on a hunt in Zimbabwe (Photo: Facebook)

Botha often took wealthy foreigners on hunts for leopards and other animals (Photo: Theunis Botha/Youtube)

Botha and two other men pose with the giant tusks of an elephant
Botha, from the South African town of Tzaneen, and the rest of the group were out for a walk on Friday afternoon when they came across the herd.

A source told Netwerk24 that Botha shot at three elephant cows as they stormed the hunters.

A fourth cow stormed from the side, lifted Botha with her trunk and was fatally shot by another hunter. The elephant then collapsed onto Botha.


Elephants and lions were among the animals hunted during Botha's safaris

Botha came from a family of cattle ranchers and big game hunters

Botha and another man pose with a crocodile that was killed during a hunt
The South African specialised in big game safaris and often took wealthy foreigners on hunts for lions, leopards and other animals after founding his own company in the 1980s.

Friends paid tribute to him on Facebook, where one wrote: "RIP Theunis Botha. Our heartfelt condolences to Carike and family. He was a great man! So sad!"


Botha's company was called Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris and Hounds

One of Botha's friends (not pictured) was recently killed by a crocodile during a hunt

Another friend added: "A legend has fallen but will never be forgotten... It's with a sad heart that we say goodbye to you Oom Theunis Botha. Our deepest condolences to the family. May God be with you all in this difficult time."

Critics of big game hunting responded with little sympathy.

One person wrote: "You should be crying for the innocent elephant that was senselessly murdered not this idiot hunter who deserved what he got."

Heartbroken friends described Botha as a "legend" of big game hunting (Photo: Facebook)

The married father-of-five ran his own safari company out of South Africa (Photo: Theunis Botha/Youtube)
Botha's friend, Scott van Zyl, 44, was killed by crocodiles during a hunt in Zimbabwe last month, Netwerk24 reported.

Botha's company, called Theunis Botha Big Game Safaris and Hounds, as he was known to hunt with dogs, is a family operation run with his wife Carike.

In 1878 his ancestors moved into a wild and rugged region of South Africa, becoming cattle ranchers and hunters, the firm's website states.

It adds: "In the year of ’66 Theunis became the latest addition to his family, and was privileged to be raised in the ways of the bush and its people."

He served in the South African infantry during the Angolan War and left the Army after reaching the rank of sergeant.

After returning home he started offering hunting safaris in 1989 to pay for his studies, and completed a degree in psychology and anthropology in 1991.

His first client, Bill Reynolds, from the US state of Montana, hunted a leopard on the family's game ranch bordering Kruger National Park after his hounds picked up the animal's scent, the website states.

It added that Botha pioneered traditional European-style Monteria hunts, where game are driven with dogs, in South Africa.

[loochy]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I wouldn't call that old dude superior at anything.

apparently he's superior at shooting tigers (or hippos or birds or whatever is there to be shot)

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I wouldn't call that old dude superior at anything.

Looks like it was shot in Kansas, so I would say that he is

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Spott

The guy in that pic is a worthless piece of shit coward, just like you.

Okay bed wetter, you hang in there now.

[tooge]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

LOL. Thats the one

[JakeF]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Cool story bro.

ak0.pinimg.com/736x/58/63/a5/5863a5edb9781168c640b5f322405b8e

The fact that you think anyone who dislikes trophy hunting is a member of the nutbag Peta organization just shows the tiny size of your brain.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by frozenchief

He hunted animals in accord with the law. He did not hurt another human being. He complied with what biologists said would help the herd, even if you have never seen the herd, don't understand biology and have no direct evidence about what happened.

And you are glad he's dead.

What a piece of shit. I don't care if you agree or disagree. But rejoicing in someone's death when: 1) you've never met them; 2) they did you no harm, and 3) they did no people any harm, is really twisted. Rejoice when a serial killer dies? Fine. Rejoice when at the death of someone whose philosophy killed many like Marx or Mao, okay. I can understand. But to rejoice at the death of someone who does something completely legal but that you disagree with ... that's twisted.

You apparently have never lived in a place where wildlife can truly kill you, nor do you appear to understand how humans actually fit into the natural universe. You come live in remote Alaska for a couple of years and face some brown bears. Then tell me about hunting and killing animals. Until then, you don't know shit and you discredit yourself every time you open your mouth.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by JakeF

The fact that you think anyone who dislikes trophy hunting is a member of the nutbag Peta organization just shows the tiny size of your brain.

You seem pretty cool; maybe we could hang out. You wanna' go clubbing sometime?

[ptlyon]

Originally Posted by vailpass

You seem pretty cool; maybe we could hang out. You wanna' go clubbing sometime?

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by RealSNR

This has GOT to be a Far Side comic. There's no way Gary Larson hasn't drawn this one. If not, you may have stumbled across something amazing

Calvin and Hobbes had something along these lines.

[frozenchief]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy

I'd love to see those fat guys gun-less trying to outrun a Bengal tiger.

You've never hunted bear. While I have not been successful for bear (I have been for moose and caribou), I have hunted bear on a few occasions. I suppose if I hunted more frequently, I would be successful, but that's another story. And I hunted large bear for a trophy. I've also gone out into the night with a rifle in one hand and a flashlight in another to get bears off my property and out of my boat.

Why do I hunt trophy bear? Several reasons. First, living in an area where wildlife impacts your daily life will alter how you view that wildlife. Have enough bears come onto your property or get in your boat because they can smell the blood or get into your truck because you used your truck to haul garbage to the dump and you rapidly get a different perspective on animals. You realize animals are not anthropomorphic. Disney's version of all the little forest animals just getting along is wrong.

Second, hunting large bears can help the bear population. Biologically speaking, males are the extraneous sex. And many male animals kill offspring that is not there. Male bears even kill their own cubs. Why? Who knows. But they do. And getting rid of large bears means more cubs are likely to survive.

Third, there is no feeling like it in the world. You track a large bear or go through bear country and you know you are not on top of the food chain. You ridicule man having firearms but face a large brown bear and steel shrinks. There are many instances of firearms that do not kill a bear. Hollywood has rarely, if ever, accurately portrayed how firearms really work. In the movies, the good guys hit their target and the bad guys miss. Well, a bear charging you is a really good reason to miss. But you want something that will make you feel alive? You want your heart to pound, your face to sweat and your balls to tighten? Face down dangerous game.

So lets say you want to hunt a bear. How do you do it? You do need to be in shape. You also need time. Go to a place that looks 'bear-y' and use your binoculars. Once you spot a good size bear, start walking.

You will walk for miles over country few have ever seen. Country where there is nobody else. You twist your ankle? Better have first aid because there's no doctor here. Run out of food? Shoot something because there's no grocery store. It is large areas of land where seems that God just threw things here because He didn't know where else to put them. Extra water? Sure, make the ground muddy/boggy so you sink to your knees with each step. Just past that, put in some brushes that are so think you cannot see 2 feet in front of you. Track a 1000+ pound animal so strong that it has dragged large bull moose wherever it wants. An animal that kills caribou and moose by breaking their necks. An animal with a sense of smell unrivaled on this continent. An animal that can think. Crawl through this brush knowing that bear could be anywhere and if that bear decides you are in his personal space, that brush won't do a damn thing to stop his charge.

you talk about something that will put your balls in the back of your throat. That is it. From what I read, hunting elephants or Cape Buffalo is very similar. You want something where you face your own fear? You want to know whether you have the guts to go forward even if every atom in your brain is screaming that if that bear charges, you are dead? Hunting dangerous game will do it. And the fear/exhilaration is different than just climbing rocks or some physical challenge. Here, your opponent is a living, breathing, thinking, instinctual animal whose drive to survive has been honed over eons.

The fact is, living in North America in late 20th/early21st century gives us the luxury of despising hunting. Prior to that, hunting was necessary. it was necessary for food. It was necessary to protect land. It was necessary because animals competed with humans for land and food and quality of life. If you live in the Lower 48, you live comfortably because those before you essentially killed enough dangerous game that you no longer know what it means to fear animals.

Trophy? You have no idea what that means. It means that you swallowed your fear, that you ignored your pain, that you ignored the weather, that you pitted what God gave you (your brains - signified in your rifle) against that animal's nose and hide and muscle and claws and teeth. And that you won.

Until you have faced those fears, it is easy to make snide comments about those who stood and died. But deep down you are glad that you live in your comfortable American suburb. You rejoice that danger to you means there is a bit of ice on the highway. You can get your food without risking life or limb. It's easy. Clean. Antiseptic. So you tell yourself that you provide and sneer at men who hunt.

As the Aussies say, if you don't have the balls, you're not welcome at my campfire.

[tooge]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Why would they give up their guns? We're the superior species.

He shot it in the snout? Wtf? Seems an odd spot for a kill shot

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

They all are. Go shoot some shit birds not ****ing animals that stand still most of the time.

This is ****ing ridiculous, conservation my ass. Take that bullshit somewhere else.

Why does it matter which animals are killed? The only argument I see is if they are an endangered animal. Otherwise, whether it's a pretty or dumb animal, shouldn't make a difference. If you don't think any animals should die, shouldn't kill a dog, shouldn't kill a mouse either.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2ca_1334770042

[Ming the Merciless]

Originally Posted by Inmem58

You're a ****ing idiot and clearly didn't read shit in that thread.

1) you live in ****ign bakersfield

2) i think youre the dumbass who claimed he could taste 'gas' on his steak when broiled in a gas oven

3) you burned your shitty apartment down with a bbq (totally your fault)

4) then you cried for your deposit back LOL


Look at these facts homey-then ask yourself ---
Maybe youre not as smart as you think you are??? Maybe you should ****ign shut your mouth and think for a few moments longer next time you feel the need to spout off your big ****ing mouth...

"I don't agree with you so im glad you are dead" is your genious ****ign thought?

GTFO of here man

dude had a family and we are talking about hunting / conservation etc....even if you disagree ...Do you not enjoy lots of dead animals in your life? ****ing hgypocrite....youre cool with dead animals as long as they are on your BBQ

You wasted the dead animal that you burned your apartment down cooking...should you die?

[Halfcan]

I shoot lots of animals (with a camera) and have a great time doing it.

IMO it is much better than hunting since the animals live to be enjoyed by others.