WHAT? for real? what's with Texas?

Here is the news story..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4689428.stm

Read it please..

There are "hunting" ranches in Texas, which stock exotic endangered animals, animals that are no longer present in their natural habitats in Afria and India etc, but are being bred in these ranches. For what? For a chance to shoot them, for about $8500 a pop!!

And there are over 500 of these ranches in Texas. Stocked with rare Antelope, Giraffes, Gazelles, other species of deer... And these guys actually have the audacity to say that they are helping in conservation of the animals! How twisted can some logic get? Breed and raise endangered animals to shoot them? and then claim that you are protecting them.

And the best part ...

...recent decision by the Bush administration... granted a special exemption to hunting ranches, removing protection for certain endangered animals.

It means hunters can continue to hunt and kill three species of endangered antelope in captivity - the dama gazelle, the addax and the scimitar-horned oryx - so long as they give 10% of profits to conservation.

?????????????????????????????

..that's probably because the president's buddies all run these ranches and i'm sure the president himself takes much pleasure in going down to these hellholes to shoot a few endangered creatures once in a while.. How wrong can something be??

I remember being confused and surprised by a scene in the movie "Syriana" where one of the lobbyists is shown shooting gazelles in Texas. So this is what it was huh? I'm speechless. This is so wrong. so so wrong.