ELEPHANT MAN: Fury at Spain's King elephant hunt as jobless rate soars

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ELEPHANT MAN: Fury at Spain's King elephant hunt as jobless rate soars
by Darius Kadivar
16-Apr-2012
 

Juan Carlos's expensive trip to Botswana – from which he was flown home injured – arouses anger in recession-hit country. (Source: persianrealm.com)

Photo Caption: 

Spain's King Juan Carlos poses in front of a dead elephant on a hunting trip in Botswana, Africa. Photograph: Target Press/Barcroft Media

 

Spanish TV Report:

 

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ELEPHANT HUNT BOTSWANA

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Elephant Hunting at Rann Safaris:

WARNING : This video shows elephant hunting at Rann Safaris, Botswana

(TO WATCH DOUBLE CLICK HERE)


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HUNTING GAME ON SCREEN

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Water for Elephants (Trailer) :

Starring Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christopher Waltz


Michael Douglas in The Ghost and the Darkness:

Michael Douglas in one of his best roles as the great white hunter Charles Remington in the 1996 adventure hit The Ghost and the Darkness


King Solomon’s Mines:

The Making of the movie Starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger


Ava Gardner In Mogambo :

Elizabeth Taylor Stampeded & Slapped in Elephants Walk :

 

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ELEPHANT MAN

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Spain's King Juan Carlos under fire over elephant hunting trip (guardian)

While ordinary Spaniards cope with harsh austerity, recession and soaring unemployment, the country's royal family has been enjoying expensive hunting trips, one of which resulted in King Juan Carlos ending up in hospital.

The 74-year-old monarch's fall in a park in Botswana provided an excuse for Spanish newspapers, who normally treat their royal family with kid gloves, to plaster their pages with photos of the king standing proudly in front of a dead elephant.

The photograph came from the website of Botswana-based Rann Safaris, which had been taken down by Sunday. The pictures, taken before the latest hunting trip, also showed the king with two dead water buffaloes.

Shoots with Rann Safaris cost upwards of $8,700 (£5,500) a week, with an elephant costing a further $15,000 to kill. A day out with professional hunter Jeff Rann, pictured with the king, costs a further $2,000.

The king's accident, after which he was flown back to Madrid for a hip operation, came days after his grandson, 13-year-old Froilán Marichalar, shot himself in the foot while hunting in Spain. He also had to be hospitalised and doctors removed the contents of a 36-calibre shotgun cartridge from his foot. Newspapers reported that it was illegal for a 13-year-old to handle that type of gun.

The king's hunting trip, which officials described as private, has caused a storm of angry comment from animal lovers and those wanting to know how much it had cost.

promotional video on YouTube shows Rann shooting elephants – which can be killed with licences bought at auction from the Botswana government – in the Okavango delta.

"You have to manage the world's animal populations, to their betterment," says Rann, who did not answer queries from the Guardian. "We are trying to improve their habitat."

King Juan Carlos has been involved in hunting scandals before. Six years ago, officials dismissed as ridiculous allegations that he had shot a drunken Russian bear that had been plied with honey and vodka. The royal family has a troubled history with guns. The king shot and killed his brother in an accident when he was a teenager.

Related Blog :

ELEPHANT KINGDOM: Barotseland's royals demand independence from Republic of Zambia

 

Other Blogs on Spain:

Spanish king's teenage grandson shoots himself in foot

A KING’s SALARY: Spain’s Royal Family Publish Salaries For The First Time

 

WHAT DID THE DUKE DO ? Spanish king's son-in-law dropped from official duties

 

FRANCO’s GHOST: Spain's Franco-era probe judge Baltasar Garzon on trial

 

EL CID: Spain’s King Knights Sarkozy with Order Of the Golden Fleece

 

ROYAL FORUM: China signs $7.5b deals with Juan Carlos' Spain

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more from Darius Kadivar
 
Darius Kadivar

Spain's king in hospital for hip surgery

by Darius Kadivar on

Spain's king in hospital for hip surgery (cnn)

 

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • King Juan Carlos is readmitted to a hospital in Madrid for surgery on his hip
  • The 74-year-old monarch injured his hip in a fall while on a private hunting trip in Africa
  • The trip has caused controversy because of its cost and because it included elephant hunting
  • The king had hip replacement surgery earlier this month

Madrid (CNN) -- Spain's King Juan Carlos was recovering Friday after being readmitted to a Madrid hospital for surgery on his right hip, the Royal Palace said.

An update on the 74-year-old king's condition is expected later in the day, according to the palace.

The surgery was performed Thursday at San Jose Hospital to "reduce a dislocation" of the hip, a palace statement said.

He underwent hip replacement surgery earlier this month after falling while on a controversial private hunting trip in Botswana. 

 


amirparvizforsecularmonarchy

Stupid khar carlos, gives a bad name to stupid khars

by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on

feeling a little judgemental and undiplomatic today, but this is outrageous, who ever knew a SO-CALLED educated person could be so sickening, reminds me of the queens husband philip and his hunting trips, they disgrace themselves and need to be more sensitive with all that they represent. 

The appology, making it only in reference to the economic crisis and about expenses, is really even more upsetting, where does one start?


Darius Kadivar

Spanish King Juan Carlos apologizes for Botswana hunt trip

by Darius Kadivar on

Spanish king sorry for hunting trip (bbc)

 

King Juan Carlos apologises to the Spanish people for going on a hunting trip in Africa while his country was in economic crisis.


anglophile

تقدیم به شاه پیل افکن

anglophile


پندار همان عهد است از دیدهٔ فکرت بین

در سلسلهٔ درگه، در کوکبهٔ میدان

از اسب پیاده شو، بر نطع زمین رخ نه

زیر پی پیلش بین شه مات شده نعمان

نی نی که چو نعمان بین پیل افکن شاهان را

پیلان شب و روزش گشته به پی دوران

ای بس پشه پیل افکن کافکند به شه پیلی


شطرنجی تقدیرش در ماتگه حرمان


Dr. Mohandes

Elephants and Towels!

by Dr. Mohandes on

close your eyes and picture a time when instead of an elephant there is a human being of a certain religious affiliation...sitting there with a towel wrapped around his head...

Viva revolucion!


anglophile

Just the thought of it revolts me

by anglophile on

 

Nature can take care of itself. It doesn't need us to interfere.


MRX1

I had no idea

by MRX1 on

I thought elephants can only be hunted in the game reserves if their population increases beyond a certain number. Any how it's a bad move now and days for any body much less for a king.WHo ever is his advisor should be fired.

Also how much of a challange or sport is it if you have high powerfull rfle to hunt anything specialy an slow moving elephant.


Darius Kadivar

Republican Far Left Demands King to Abdicate

by Darius Kadivar on

Hunting row besets Spanish king (bbc)



Spain's ruling Popular Party calls for an end to criticism of a hunting trip to Botswana during which King Juan Carlos broke his hip

 

 

 

Ever since the Spanish media became aware of King Juan Carlos's fall and his hunting trip, on Saturday morning, the criticism has grown, even as the king recovers in hospital.

Spanish TV has debated whether the king should have been hunting in Africa - hunting elephants according to El Pais newspaper - although the royal household would not comment on the nature of the trip - while his people faced tough, economic austerity, during one of the most precarious moments in the country's economic crisis.

Many newspaper editorials have suggested simply that he should have not.

Criticism from the Republican far left is unsurprising. However the remarks of the Socialist leader in Madrid, Tomas Gomez, that the king should fulfil his duties or abdicate, are significant because they come from a senior, mainstream opposition politician.

Such pointed, public criticism of the Spanish monarch is unusual, and other senior opposition politicians and members of Spain's government have not passed judgement when asked to comment.

The scandal has erupted only weeks after the king's son-in-law appeared in court in Mallorca. Inaki Urdangarin is being investigated on allegations of corruption, which he strongly denies.

However some mainstream newspaper editorials have linked the two stories, as part of a debate about the reputation of Spain's royals, and the future of its king.


Red Wine

...

by Red Wine on

کارِ احمقانه خوان کارلوس آخر کار دستش داد !