Dear Editor,
Mr A Persaud has written to the press (‘Dead puma shown in photo had been killing farm goats’ SN, October 2) correcting a “distortion of the facts” in response to my letter regarding wanton destruction of wildlife. It is regrettable that, prior to writing my letter to the press, my attempts to make contact with Mr Persaud on this matter were futile as he could have informed me directly of the circumstances leading to the extraordinary photo of the dead puma sent to me by a concerned citizen, albeit two years later. I hope that he can understand my confusion as the hunter in the photograph next to the dead puma was posing, not with a shotgun, but rather with what appeared to be a high-powered rifle. Nevertheless, better late than never.
I restate, as in my original letter, that I believe in working with hunters to address wildlife issues so I am delighted to learn that Mr Persaud and I share a similar approach to conservation. Indeed it is this kind of staunch commitment that is necessary to enable us to partner in what I believe is a needed awareness campaign to educate hunters not only on species that are protected from hunting, but also on mechanisms to assist when capture and relocation is desired. Additionally, the fact that the puma meat was given by Mr Persaud “to a Chinese friend who considered it a delicacy” has just broadened the scope of the awareness campaign to also reach the Chinese companies and individuals so as to educate them that our wildlife is much valued by Guyanese and tourists alive rather than in a pot.
On Mr Persaud’s contention that “pumas are being hunted legally to this day even in the USA,” I would point out that the American wildlife regulatory agencies have a long history of very robust monitoring of their hunting seasons and such harvesting of wildlife, whereas in Guyana we are very much in our embryonic stage.
We have a long way to go but the signs are encouraging as the Permanent Secretary of our Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has committed that ministry’s full support for the awareness programme. I am convinced that with the help of concerned hunters, such as Mr Persaud and others, who generously engaged me this week that we will get there.
Finally, regarding the questioning by Mr Persaud of my “agenda” for campaigning so strongly about the indiscriminate shooting of pumas and other wildlife, I attach a photo which I hope makes pellucid what my “agenda” is.
Yours faithfully,
Annette Arjoon-Martins
