A mate of mine sent me some info which shows who are real conservationists, as distinct from rabid tree huggers:
The Pere David's deer is native to China,but became extinct in that country after being wiped out by habitat destruction and slaughter by hungry peasants. The species has been restored after being reintroduced from overseas. Where from? England of all places. In the early 19 Century the Duke Of Bedford, a keen deer hunter, imported some from China and raised a herd through careful game management. As a consequence England now has the only healthy viable population of a deer species native to China and hence available to restore the species.
A similar situation occurs with the Hog Deer, once native to the Indian sub-continent. In the 19 century the Acclimatisation Society imported some into Victoria Australia for hunting. Through careful game management we having a viable thriving population of these deer, at a time when the species is on the brink of extinction in their home range. Plans are now under way to use animals from the Victorian population to restore the species in India & Sri Lanka.
Conservation at its best by those most interested in REAL conservation - HUNTERS!!!
