Meet the mighty Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros). Hemingway said it was his favourite animal, probably because he liked to plug them full of holes. One of Ubuntu Wild Trust’s goals is not to avoid the difficult issues, but to really unpack them and get stuck into the surrounding details which in turn, inform our decisions regarding the projects we support.
One of the most historic, important and divisive issues on the African continent revolves around hunting. When we at Ubuntu look at this animal, we see a majestic beast in the absolute prime of his life. His value however is defined very differently by various communities and stakeholders. Some see value in putting him up on a wall. Some see value in eating him. Some see value in simply shooting him with a camera, so we may remember him always and let him roam free.
Overall it is an axiom to the debate that a person’s culture, demographic, social economic status, ethics and employment will drive much of their individual relationship to biodiversity. Through the search for knowledge, understanding, truth, sustainability and kindness, we constantly must engage with communities in order to provide a scientific basis for not only the decisions we make as trustees and custodians of nature, but the judgements we administer to others that depend on nature for their very survival.
In the meantime, we can always be in awe of one of the most beautiful animals in the world which truly represents the Latin phrase Ars Gratia Artis. Art for Art’s sake.
