Big game hunter who has killed more than 5,000 elephants says he is 'totally unrepentant' after being named in investigation into plummeting numbers – and admits killing 60 lions, 50 hippos, and 40 leopards

An African hunter who claims to have killed more than 5,000 elephants says he is 'totally unrepentant' about the deaths he has caused.

Ron Thomson, 77, who worked in Africa's national parks for almost six decades, claims he was not hunting the animals for pure sport but was managing population that would otherwise have got out of control.

However, animal rights campaigners point out that elephant numbers are in steep decline and say 'management culling' is often used as a cover for trophy hunting.

Mr Thomson was forced to defend his record after a report by the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting branded him one of the world's most prolific elephant killers.

On his website, Mr Thomson also claims to have killed 800 buffalo, 60 lions, 50 hippos and 40 leopards.

That total does not include kills he made while leading a culling team that shot 2,500 elephants and 300 hippos in Gonarezhou National Park in the 1970s
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Speaking to The Independent, he said: 'I'm totally unrepentant, a hundred – ten thousand – times over for any of the hunting I’ve done because that’s not the problem.

'The problem is we’ve got a bunch of so-called experts from the West telling us what to do. I’m a trained university ecologist – I must surely know something about this.'

During his career he has held posts including game warden of Hwange National Park, and was a professional hunter for three years.
He no longer routinely hunts, though said he would go again if invited, and instead writes books about his experiences, including God Created Man The Hunter.

On his website, he is described as 'one of the most experienced African big game hunters alive today.'
In videos posted to the YouTube channel of his wildlife organisation, The True Green Alliance, Mr Thomson outlines his view of wildlife conservation.

He argues that elephants are not an endangered species, that wildlife parks in southern Africa have 'ten to 20 times more elephants' than they can sustain, and that this is destroying the environment.

Without proper management, including culls, he argues that the parks will be overrun and endanger far more species than elephants alone.
Eduardo Gonçalves, founder of the Campaign to End Trophy Hunting, rubbished Mr Thomson's claims - saying natural animal populations rarely 'overstock' themselves.

'The African elephant population as a whole is in very serious decline," he said, adding that 'there are numerous instances of "management culling" being used as a cover for trophy-hunting.'

Mr Gonçalves' report claims that, since the 1980s, elephant numbers in southern Africa have declined from 1.3million to just over 400,000.(link)

I tend to believe he knows a lot about the topic of African Wildlife Conservation. Certainly more than the average commentator in the comments section of the article who seem to universally wish him a slow painful death.

Thats allot of ammo

Exactly. He’s out there. He knows what’s going on. Some of these animals need culled, and he did the job. The bleeding heart liberals like to sensationalize things. Using phrases like “trophy hunter” and pointing to the numbers of one man, lean on the emotions of the general public to garner support in demonizing a particular hunter. Why? So they can move on to demonize the rest of hunters.

Well articulated...I couldn't have said it any better.

In fact, to counter the negativity of this article, and for my own pleasure, I’ll just go ahead and buy his book. It’s liable to be even more entertaining than reading the green new deal (intentionally lower cased in respect of the hate for capitalism.)

My answer to the anti hunters, it's legal.

Exactly. And since only liberal anti hunting groups are doing the counting and reporting, we can't even know for sure what the true numbers are.

Why, TXHOGSLAYER, are you saying those fine, caring liberal folk can’t be trusted?

DC, that’s far nicer than I expected. I do know you’re capable of so much more.

I went to Harvard School of Ecology and they allotted me with 2 million off season teal tags.

Im gonna kill em all.

Good luck fellas.

Kind of...

Just because they lie and kill people? Racist!

What a life, may buy one of his books.!

I'm curious to what caliber and bullet selection he uses and finds the most effective.

For elephants? The biggest one that don’t relocate his teeth.

Or crack a tail bone

Who ties your shoes for you?

I’m pretty sure his shoes fasten with Velcro.

Nobody.

I wear crocs and skinny jeans

Yea, I will not say it but 30+ people know what I am thinking

Somethings are better if they are kept private.

10/4

I saw a goose decoy almost accomplish that......

5,000 elephants?

I want to see a picture of his dam smoker!