JD Vance Fished With Trophy Hunting Group That Ranks Pygmy Hippo Kills
After his VP debate, JD Vance went fishing with a pro-Trump trophy hunter group that publishes kills of endangered animals including pygmy hippos like Moo Deng, the adorable and feisty pygmy hippo baby that has gone viral across the internet.
Moo Deng biting her zookeeper
The pro-trophy hunting group, Safari Club International (SCI), organized a fishing trip for Vance in Michigan before recording an interview for the MAGA Republican Ruthless podcast.
JD Vance sitting at the back of a boat next to his 4 year old son
On the podcast, Vance defended groups like SCI that promote trophy hunting while trying to lump them in with regular fisherman and hunters:
"I think something that people don't fully appreciate, especially far lefties who pretend to care about the environment, is they assume that these guys just want to take, take, take from the environment. Like they want to kill every animal. They want to get every fish out of the lake and they want to take them home and they don't think about conservation. When in reality the people who are hunting and fishing they care the most about conservation. They care about the balance I think more than people who never spend any real time in the environment."
JD Vance wearing an SCI hat next to SCI corporate treasurer Joe Pedersen
Vance's statement attempts to paint his political opponents as extreme and the trophy hunters he is cozying up to as as conservationists. Meanwhile, SCI maintains hunting records for endangered animals including the pygmy hippo. SCI's record books rank these kills and provides a high score dashboard for trophy hunters.
Moo Deng with her mom
SCI's online record book includes the pygmy hippo which is an endangered species. SCI notes that 2 entries in their record book for pygmy hippo kills, a "gold" rating 16 14/16" tusk by rifle and a "bronze" 12 8/16" tusk by bow.
SCI's Pygmy hippopotamus species detail includes hunting strategies
SCI
SCI's record book preview page provides strategy on hunting pygmy hippos:
"It is a very wary, alert animal that has proven extremely difficult to hunt by normal methods. A few local Liberian hunters have been able to track them to their resting places in the thick jungle, but visiting sportsman should not count on doing the same. Most are taken in pit traps dug in their pathways by local meat hunters; this is also a difficult matter, with only a handful of expert trappers having much success."
According to a Human Society International report, SCI push for "trophy hunting is contributing to the decline of some of the world’s most iconic and ecologically essential species." The Humane Society International noted that these trophy hunters often target endangered species.
Vance is best buddies, along with Trump, of the trophy hunters who target vulnerable and endangered species. It Trump and Vance get back into power, more of these animals will be targeted by trophy hunters.
