Lonely Planet features illegal poaching on front cover

forevergay, is it OK if we address you as "FG" ?

Ok people, have your laughs at my expense. Im used to being discrimanted against and have hardened, so that your words cannot penetrate me. Call me whatever you want. Put an "A" between them, for all I care.

If I see a snake I will slice it up with my machete just like a local, and if I see a spider, a kill it. So there.

#12
what about a rat?

We have subway rats here in Chicago that would take down the average house cat, and a few of em would devour Paris Hiltons dog.

Wow, what a diverse range of responses. I'll try to address them here.

As a title that claims to be eco friendly, at the very least Lonely Planet should, if they are using an image of an illegal (and cruel) activity to make a profit, at the very least have included an editorial explaining the issues.

If they had an artistically correct image of a child prostitute in Thailand, would it be suitable to use as a book cover because it looked good?

I live in Central America and it is all well and fine to say well, poaching is the way we put food on the table, but that is a selfish attitude and has no regard for future generations who will not only not have any game to hunt, but their ecosystems will be destroyed. Poaching has obliterated many species in Central America and there is no excuse for it when chicken is cheaper. You can buy several chicks and raise them for the cost of gunshot, so no argument there I'm afraid.

Perhaps I am behind but this story has only received international attention recently as far as I am aware. I live in an area where the Green Iguana has been decimated by poaching and am well aware of the struggles to protect it. I have not seen Lonely Planet in any of their responses apologise for using this image. I would have thought the correct response would have been 'whoops - we cocked up on this one. We'll put it right immediately and make a sizeable donation to Green Iguana conservation'.

Anyone who is aware that not all snakes are venomous and is ignorant enough to slice up any snake they see with a machete certainly has no place living near wildlife. Not sure what that has to do with the Green Iguana though, except to highlight the fact that there are a lot of ignorant people who will kill wildlife because they don't know any better.

So ultimately, unless you believe that slicing an animal's legs open, while it is still alive, pulling their tendons out to tie their legs and doing this all to a protected species is OK, then I really hope you stay away from Central America as so many people here are working hard to prevent this area from being destroyed by irresponsible developers and tourists who don't care.

FYI- Just to quell stereotypes and generalizations, Child Prostitution in Thailand is no more an issue then most of the Central America region, Cambodia though, would be a more accurate portrayal of the use of children in the sex trade.

Does LP have a Vatican guidebook?

Fair comment Solo. But isn't that exactly what they are doing by portraying the illegal activity of poaching Green Iguana as being specific to Honduras? It isn't.

Peter Ha! That made me laugh.

I was hoping someone would get it. Have I earned another day on the forum?