Nikon has come under fire from animal welfare groups and some wildlife photographers over its new 'Monarch' line of rifle scopes, designed for game hunting.
Marketed as being 'Engineered for Safari' Nikon's Sport Optics website carries claims that the new Monarch-series scopes are created 'for those seeking dangerous game adventure on the Dark Continent' - an archaic term for Africa which is controversial in itself.
British newspaper The Independent has published a short feature on the controversy, noting that Nikon's photographic products are often marketed as ideal tools for getting close to, and capturing images of animals, while - crucially - not harming them.
Trophy hunting, of the sort that Nikon's Sport Optics division seems to be explicitly referencing in the marketing materials for its Monarch-series scopes, is hugely controversial. This kind of hunting is highly lucrative for certain African countries, but many claim that it is damaging, too. The Independent cites research by Scientific American magazine research that suggests the practice may have contributed to a halving of the population of lions in Africa over 30 years.
