Hunting In Africa
"Hunting in Africa: Revealing Interview with Katriel on the Legitimate and Necessary Reasons".
Chef Katriel tells us in first person about a particular moment of his trip to Africa in 2015: "the moment of hunting animals". The chef was called to work for an Argentine restaurant located in Senegal, called "La Pampa Grill", and below, you will find what he told us.
-How did the proposal to go hunting come up
The owner of the restaurant asked me if I liked hunting. Of course, I said yes. So we went on a fishing and hunting expedition. It was not a poaching expedition. Poaching is the taking of animals without the consent of the person who controls or owns the land. But this was a necessary service to protect crops, so it was authorized to be done. Besides, I was interested in going there to see how the crops and food are made there.
Did you observe anything interesting on your expedition?
Honestly, I was very surprised because everything is rustic. They do everything by hand, with a lot of love and dedication. The care they take of their land is admirable. You can see children helping their parents to carry water cans to irrigate the plantations. Because everything is so well cared for, the animals double, because they are attracted to the food, and to these vegetations as a habitat. And this is when hunting becomes useful.
-Why do you consider it useful? Isn't it "killing for fun"?
The truth is that it can be misinterpreted as killing for fun, but it is quite the opposite. Hunting in this place has its reasons and they are valid. It is not poaching. On this occasion we hunted ducks and pigeons, the latter are small pigeons that destroy the plantation, fruit of the work of the farmers. Moreover, the latter come in hundreds and need to be eliminated. And it is not that they are wasted, but that after shooting them they are eaten. We gave everything we hunted to the people who live there because they then cook it with rice. It's not just shooting the birds, as people think. It is important to make people aware that what you kill and what you do has a meaning.
-When you hear hunting in Africa, you think you're going to hunt lions or animals like that. Why was this only hunting birds?
Absolutely. You would think so, but no. That kind of expedition is more expensive and difficult to access. Besides, as I was telling you before, this has a service purpose. We don't want to break a "record", but to take care of the plantation and regulate the animals. Because in Senegal, as there is a lot of plantation and a lot of water due to the care that people dedicate to it, the animals reproduce more than usual and eat everything. Therefore, there is nothing left for people.
I think it is important to clarify this, because many times misinformation leads to ignorance about these issues, generating prejudices in the people who carry out the hunts. And the reality is that there are reasons for these actions, and they are "life or death" for the quality of life of a population, in this case, that of Senegal.
To end this interview, we want to highlight the reasons that the Chef tells us about why hunting is carried out and to break with the prejudice that, in some situations, the action is carried out, not for mere pleasure, but for pest control and defense reasons. Super interesting, right? If you want to continue learning with Chef Menendez, visit his Blog section on his website. We hope you enjoy them!