Do you feel this way just for elephant hunters or all trophy hunters? If someone hunts a pheasant for a trophy or catches a big fish for a trophy would you be glad to hear they were murdered?
I feel a similar way about all “trophy” hunting, whether it’s a fish or an elephant.
As I have already said, my reaction to this guy killing elephants is a particularly visceral one that I could not justify on a rational ethical basis since I’m not a psychopath who goes around murdering anglers. But I feel little compunction about the emotional component of my reaction when this fucker deliberately goaded people into that reaction with prominent public displays of his toxic behavior.
As an aside - obviously not related to trophy hunting, but the unnecessary suffering of animals - Peter Singer has cogently argued that the greatest absolute amount of suffering caused by humanity to other species may be in the fishing industry. Fish elicit little visceral empathy from humans, and there are no regulations requiring humane practices to limit unnecessary suffering when fish are caught. They just suffocate slowly on the decks of ships. And even if you make optimistic (low) assumptions about the ability of a fish to feel pain, you must multiply that suffering by the trillion fish that we kill every year.
I can’t really mourn any big game hunter that shoots for trophy.
I was an avid hunter, if I was not disabled, I would still be an avid hunter [well ok, and I liked fishing and crabbing too] The only reason other than defense, or culling ill or injured animals is food. And I also don’t believe in wasting the bones or hide [being a medievalist, there are a lot of uses for bone, sinew and hide, nothing needs to be wasted.]
And I applaud the lions and elephant =)