There's a case for suggesting Louis Theroux always targets things that produce immediate reactions from viewers, and that (while still offering insight and a few twists of expectation), his documentaries generally leave people with their opinions reinforced, and only slightly punctured. Still, his documentaries are less about "changing minds", and more about peeking behind the curtains of society -- allowing the world's deluded and dysfunctional to have their say...African Hunting Holiday saw Louis in South Africa, to meet locals who have created private hunting ranges: fenced-off countryside where wildlife are bred to be hunted by foreign tourists. Americans, usually. Prices start at $100 for a baboon and go up to somewhere in the region of $100,000 for a rhino. Bargain, no?
Louis arrived at one such business (a "Shingani Safari"), owned by hunter Riaan Vosloo, coinciding with the arrival of a group from Ohio on a hunting holiday. The Americans are all eager to take home "trophies" of their kills. Louis meets neophyte hunter Paul, there to bag himself some African beasts, but his wife Ann-Marie seems only half-interested in the experience – telling herself the dead meat will be put to good use; sold or used to feed locals.
Louis also meets part-time vet Lolly Furie (who owns a 3,000 acre hunting range) and animal breeder Piet Venter. Both old timers don't allow guns to be used -- as the noise causes distress to the animals -- so insist all hunters use bows. These two have a kinship with their animals (Lolly won't allow his graceful giraffes to be hunted at all), and Piet is adamant the operation benefits everyone: the locals have jobs, foreign hunters satisfy their bloodlust legally, and "canned hunting" has actually saved species from extinction.
Days into Louis' investigation, Ann-Marie has started to develop the urge to kill herself. She admits it's primarily down to peer-pressure and feelings of isolation on the trip -- being the only one without blood on their hands. But she won't kill zebra, as they look too much like horses. Ann-Marie takes aim at a group of impala drinking at a waterhole, and fires a bolt through one animal's heart and lungs. It's an excellent shot for a beginner ("lots of blood!"), and Ann-Marie seems overwhelmed and excited by the adrenaline rush.
For Louis, it seems clear that standing on the sidelines and making judgments on hunting isn't fair. As the hunters say; to understand it, you need to do it. Intrigued by the change in attitude of Ann-Marie, Louis takes aim at a warthog from inside a camouflaged hut. His rifle is trained on one unsuspecting pig, but he just can't pull the trigger. He leaves, feeling slightly "wet" because he lacked the killer instinct.
The best moment is reserved for the end (naturally), when Piet gives Louis a guided tour of a large barn where he breeds animals in captivity to sell them for hunting. Piet, fed up with Louis asking the same basic questions about the morality of hunting, finally explodes into a passionate speech about how it’s easy for outsiders to condemn what they do, but there's no other way South Africans can make money…
Outsiders may cringe at the idea of bloodsports, but isn't it more to do with how the killing process (which feeds billions of people every day) isn't kept out of sight behind abattoir doors here? Sure, it's a sport for rich tourists – but it's the only way to make decent money, and the demand for animals to kill has paradoxically been the salvation of many endangered species.
There are no easy answers here. While I still think hunting is a bad thing (especially when the hunters have so much advantage – so, it's like shooting fish in a barrel), I can understand why it happens. I have no problem with animals being killed to feed people, but it's unfortunate that people still find pleasure in killing animals. A sad hangover from the days of cavemen.
Still, all of the South African hunters came across quite well, and were far from the blood-crazed opportunists I was expecting. If they could make more money from activities that didn't require animals to die, I'm sure they'd pursue it. It all comes down to money, and it's very easy in the western world to condemn hunting poor, defenseless, cute animals… while biting down on a Big Mac…
6 April 2008
BBC2, 9.00 pm
