Outrage continues over shooting of Hearst Ranch zebras
January 12, 2011
The national media is picking up the local story of the three zebras who wandered off Hearst Ranch on Jan 5, only to be shot and killed by two ranchers. [LA Times]
Two of the three zebras showed up on David Fiscalini’s cattle ranch and he killed them with his shotgun. A third zebra was killed by another rancher.
Fiscalini defended his actions by saying the zebras had spooked his horses.
Fanning the controversy were reports of Fiscalini’s actions the day after the shooting, when he called a local taxidermist out to the ranch and said he needed one of the zebras skinned and its hide tanned. “He wants to make a rug,” said Rosemary Anderson, the taxidermist’s wife. “You can’t believe the controversy.”
The Hearst Corp. still owns the 128-square-mile ranch that surrounds the castle. It was once home to more than 300 animals but most were sold off in the 1930s, said William Randolph Hearst’s great-grandson, Stephen Hearst. But some sheep, deer and 65 zebras continue to graze there, he said.
The zebras, Hearst said, rarely venture beyond the fence, “but from time to time they do, and neighbors give us a call and we retrieve them.”
He said he was shocked that Fiscalini hadn’t called him instead of shooting them.
“Was the threat so imminent that his first thought was to make a rug out of them?” Hearst asked. “It’s just a shame, and it’s a little bit rude in my book. You know, neighbors are supposed to help other neighbors.”
It is not known whether Fiscalini violated any state laws in shooting the zebras.
The two “hunters” may have been within their convoluted rights to kill three animals who were acting natural by trying to herd into a group of their closest relatives, but personally I believe the “drugstore cowboys” should spend some time behind bars and be forced to do some community service picking up trash along the highways (wearing striped suits).
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Being very near the situation I can tell you exactly what happened. A rancher named Garret Taylor was the one who actually shot the zebras. They were in no way a threat, merely grazing on his ranch. He shot two adults, then shot a foal when it tried to hang out with his cattle after it’s mother was dead. This is truely a senseless tragedy, those who shoot things merely for sport should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law
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OK San Luis Sheriff’s Department you went after Mat Hart just for target practicing.
Fiscalini fired his weapon and actually killed living things so he should be treated the same way if not worse!
Book’em Parkinson!
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Fiscalini said: “These zebras have no respect for fences,” he said. “They tear fences down and go right through them.”
This statement seems to absolve Mr. Hearst of any ‘negligence’ with regard to maintaining fences. How do we know Mr Fiscalini did not ‘tear down the fence’ himself with the intention of killing the zebras when they came through?
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Ive seen a coral of spooked horses and though I’m no equine expert,( to say the least in under dramatic tones) It seemed like an incrediably dangerous sittuation. Im not sure what happened here. Does this guy just happen to keep a shotgun around in case he has to shoot a horse? Im seriously asking that question because for all I know a rancher might.
I dont know that I would have done the same thing but then again the reason I dont that is because Im not a rancher and I dont own any horses. I do know for sure that I would not make a rug out of them. I know that for sure
What I think is missing in this debate is what responsibility does the Hearst Ranch have in this for not keeping their zebras on their property. Had the animals not gotten loose there would be no shooting in the first place
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About the hide-tanning part:
My guess is that Fiscalini found himself in possession of two dead zebras, THEN chose to save what was left of them by calling the taxidermist. It’s called being thrifty and its what ranchers do.
From a PR standpoint, it was kinda stupid. But then, Fiscalini had already broken the PR maxim, “never pick a fight with someone who buys his ink by the barrel.”
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I only got to hear a bit of Dave’s show today while they were discussing this. I heard someone comparing the zebras to bugs and saying if it’s okay to kill bugs then it’s okay to kill the zebras. Another caller said that because they didn’t have brands that there is no way to prove that the zebras belonged to the Hearst family…ARE YOU KIDDING ME.?. Is it a full moon? I rarely hear such goofy calls on Dave’s shows.
I’ve pulled off the road and watched the Hearst zebras and unlike horses they are pretty aggressive with each other, I was pretty surprised how much that they fight with each other so I could see them perhaps harming horses. On the other hand these are ranchers, all they’d have to do is hop on their ATVs and scare them away or fire a gun in the air to keep the zebras away while someone called the Hearst family. If the zebras did harm a horse or a cow then I’m sure that the Hearst family would pay for any damages.
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