On a bike trail in Fort Collins, Colorado, one woman spotted something distressing: a wild turkey with a long arrow stuck completely through its body.
"Anyone else seen this bird?" her husband posted on the Fort Collins subreddit. "My wife got this video this morning. … She called northern Colorado wildlife and they said he's been seen with it for 7 years and there's been several unsuccessful attempts to catch and remove it. Wild stuff."
One commenter said: "Thanks for calling them to check on it anyway. It's the right thing to do when you see something like this."
Another had stronger language for the upsetting video.
"This is infuriating on so many levels," they vented. "I wish the person could be caught and put in jail."
Someone else echoed the opinion, reinforcing it with a statistic they pulled from the nonprofit Animal Rights Coalition. "Wounding rates for Deer in bow hunting are 52%. In other words bowhunters are ineffective and only wounded the animal they were trying to kill 52% of the time," they explained. "And that's when hunting deer, a much larger target. One of the many reasons bowhunting is wildly unethical IMHO."
Hunting can be contentious, but the subject is far more complex than that. Hunting provides an effective way to keep invasive species in check, allowing native flora and fauna to thrive. Not only that, but hunters and fishers also have historically been major financial supporters of conservation efforts through their licenses.
"The only unethical thing about it is unskilled shooters," another commenter argued. "Bow hunting is a skill that needs to honed by shooting thousands of arrows a year. Like anything else in This world, bad people ruin it for the good."
It's true that there have been many instances of hunters abusing their licenses, killing more animals than legally permitted, including endangered species. And poaching continues to threaten some of the planet's most precarious animal populations, as species such as pangolins, elephants, and rhinoceroses are harvested for their body parts in trafficking networks.
For consumers, it's best to always check to make sure that animal products you purchase — whether it's meat, clothing, beauty products, or otherwise — are sustainably and ethically sourced. And if you suspect illegal hunting or trafficking, there are hotlines available in your area to provide anonymous tips.
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And while nobody's sure who injured this turkey, the first commenter is right. Whatever the cause, if you see an injured wild animal, it's best to get in touch with local officials who can assess the situation and provide assistance.
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