I am absolutely against hunting for the sole purpose of display so I support Animal welfare advocates who sent this letter to the BYU authorities. I understand exchanges between museums but asking someone to kill animals so you can display it in an exhibition is just plain wrong to me.
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Animal welfare advocates invoked the words of LDS Church leaders on Monday to denounce Brigham Young University's display of a rhino skin obtained in a recent African trophy-hunting expedition. The Humane Society of the United States sent BYU, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a letter demanding it block the specimen from being mounted at the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, as well as future museum acquisitions through trophy hunting. "If we maltreat our animals, or each other, the spirit within us, our traditions, and the Bible, all agree in declaring it is wrong," wrote Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle, quoting an 1853 address by Brigham Young titled "Comprehensive of True Religion. The Saints but Stewards." "Killing animals for museum exhibition is not acceptable in our day, especially when the target is one of the rarest large mammals in the world," continued Pacelle in his letter to BYU President Cecil Samuelson. "The founders of The Church of Latter-day Saints taught that animals should be treated with kindness and respect, and this action is at odds with the principles of compassionate care of animals." Last year, Bean museum benefactor Fred Morris, a prolific trophy hunter who lives in Draper, hunted a rhino at South Africa's Mkuze National Park. The park sells permits to hunt excess rhinos to finance its conservation efforts, Bean officials said. Last week they said they hope to acquire a black rhino, a hippopotamus and a giraffe for future exhibits. The museum's plans since have drawn criticism from those who find hunting rare wildlife for display morally repugnant..... |