.

A fabled hunter from Milan

or Mombasa or somewhere

raised his arms high

and screamed in bloody triumph.

.

A cameraman from Berlin

or Budapest or somewhere

caught it on film

and said it was a defining moment.

.

A clever artist from Canberra

or Cape Town or somewhere

preserved its skin

and claimed it was cutting-edge art.

.

An entrepreneur from Beijing

or Bangalore or somewhere

ground its horn

and sold it as a love potion.

.

A wealthy lady from Marseilles

or Manchester or somewhere

wept for its death

and said it was a beautiful creature.

.

A wannabe hunter from New York

or New Delhi or somewhere

marvelled at the shot

and hoped they’d show him killing the last lion.

.

First published in ‘For Rhino in a Shrinking World’