Idaho commissioner shot family of baboons, giraffe, and leopard, and bragged about it in emails
In a bid to highlight how hunting “derails conservation efforts by simply devaluing the lives of the hunted animals,” AmoMama covered this story about an Idaho commissioner who went hunting in Africa.
On September 17, Commissioner Blake Fischer sent an email to more than 100 people sharing photos of his hunting expedition in Africa. The images showed him posing with many wild animals that he’d killed.
Blake Fischer is a fish and game commissioner in Idaho who visited Africa with his wife this year. Back in the states, the commissioner sent an email with images of his hunting trip.
The emails and photos were shared with the media by Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter's office. Former commissioner Fred Trevey said Fischer sent the photos to about 125 people.
An Idaho fish and game commissioner who sent a mass email that included pictures of himself with carcasses of animals he killed in Africa has resigned https://t.co/MAyLLNa4Ob
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 16, 2018
For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. The pictures showed Fischer posing with a family of baboons that he had shot and killed in Africa.
Idaho Fish and Game commissioner pressured to resign after bragging about killing an oryx, a giraffe, a waterbuck, a leopard and a family of baboons during his recent hunting trip to Namibia https://t.co/f2Z1oJCPfy pic.twitter.com/3qvqC2W55H
— CNN (@CNN) October 15, 2018
The images led to a group of former commissioners, including Trevey, to ask for Fischer’s resignation. His email stated that he and his wife had just returned from a two-week hunting trip to Namibia.
Idaho Fish and Game official resigns over photos of animals killed on African hunting trip https://t.co/G2sh5hfutr pic.twitter.com/hNhKne4Jbk
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 16, 2018
He went on to say:
"First day she wanted to watch me, and 'get a feel' of Africa. So I shot a whole family of baboons. I think she got the idea quick"
Fischer also emailed photos of other animals that he and his wife had hunted and killed while in Namibia.
Idaho Fish and Game commissioner criticized for sending unsolicited photos from his African hunting trip https://t.co/UE7byb0AjR pic.twitter.com/Dg1GkwwVFz
— The Hill (@thehill) October 14, 2018
These included a giraffe, leopard, impala, antelope, and waterbuck. He bragged further in his emails saying:
"I shot a Leopard. Super cool, super lucky. The Leopard is one of the big 5, as in one of the 5 animals in Africa that will kill you before you can kill it. Crazy cool animal. They are normally super nocturnal, so this was really unique."
Otter heard about the matter and his spokesman, Jon Hanian, said:
"Governor Otter was briefed and has seen the pictures. He has expressed concern about them and we’re looking into the situation.”
Fischer resigned on Monday at the governor’s request. Otter had this to say:
“I have high expectations and standards for every appointee in state government. Every member of my administration is expected to exercise good judgment. Commissioner Fischer did not.”
Idaho Fish and Game commissioner called on to resign after graphic hunting photos surface, including a family of slaughtered baboons. https://t.co/SkpPv90HsF
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 13, 2018
A study in March 2016 in the journal Biology Letters, revealed that contemporary trophy hunting was used by men “to send signals about their fitness to rivals and potential mates.” Even those who killed animals for food “targeted animals that were more challenging for them to catch, simply to let others know that they could afford to take that risk.”
Killing large and dangerous animals as a "sport" started thousands of years ago. Records from the Assyrian empire that were from about 4,000 years ago to around 600 B.C., described kings that boasted of killing elephants, ibex, ostriches, wild bulls, and lions.
