The truth about trophy hunting (2024)

FAQs

What is the problem with trophy hunting? ›

Trophy hunting represents a source of unnatural mortality as trophy hunters often target healthy, reproductive-age animals, especially those that are large or have impressive physical attributes.

The high cost of regulating hunting means that it is unlikely that there is a net funding contribution from trophy hunters to wildlife conservation. In short, rather than being the source of conservation funding, trophy hunters appear to the beneficiaries of wildlife conservation that is funded by others.

Nusch says most locals support trophy hunting, as it helps keep elephant populations under control. "There is a lot of human-elephant conflict going on. That can range from getting your crop fields trampled over, getting your mangos or watermelons eaten by elephants that were meant to be traded," explained Nusch.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, trophy hunting provides an economic incentive for ranchers to continue to breed those species, which reduces the threat of the species' extinction.

However, true trophy hunting, as hunters understand it, means being extremely selective in holding out for the biggest and oldest animal possible (which is often also the wariest and most difficult to hunt), and when and if it is taken, it is utilized completely—all the meat is recovered and consumed, and the head, ...

In the U.S. alone, trophy hunters kill more than 100,000 native carnivores every year for their fur. Take action to stop this cruel and unnecessary practice.

Kenya does not permit trophy hunting. “These magnificent prime breeding males hold immense sustainable biological, economic and cultural value while alive, but their contribution to both human and elephant societies ends once they're killed,” said Joyce Poole, scientific director at ElephantVoices.

Lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo, from Africa, are some of the most expensive and popular animals targeted in trophy hunting. However, thousands of black bears, wildebeest, impala, fowl, and other animals are also killed each year for sport.

2: Conservation hunting (including trophy hunting) is, in part, responsible for reviving animal populations, funding local communities, and protecting biodiversity.

The United States (US) accounts for 71 percent of the import demand, or about 15 times more than the next highest nations, Germany and Spain (both 5 percent). These top 20 importing countries are killing and importing their trophies mainly from Canada (35 percent), South Africa (23 percent), and Namibia (11 percent).

What would happen if trophy hunting was banned? ›

While the management of trophy hunting can be improved in some instances, an outright ban on trophy imports could have the opposite of its intended effect, potentially placing African wildlife at increased risk of extinction from its primary threats of habitat loss and poaching.

Elephant hunting is allowed in African countries where their populations are stable, adequately protected and well managed. Perhaps of all endangered species, African elephants are the least likely to disappear because of what they are!

Trophy hunting regards wildlife as a commodity and renders animals as some sort of play-toy to be conquered and thrown around by humans. It's a highly anthropocentric view of the world — the belief that the purpose of everything in our universe is for the benefit of humans and doesn't exist autonomously.

Photographic safaris can be a positive alternative to trophy hunting. Shooting an animal with a camera, rather than a gun will not only save that animal's life, but enable it to continue to generate funds through photographic tourism for years to come.

From my experience, meat hunting is the act of going hunting with the objective of taking the first legal animal of the species you can. Trophy hunting involves being more selective, which usually means passing up opportunities at legal animals and waiting for a big male of whatever species is being pursued.

Another problem with hunting involves the introduction of exotic “game” animals who, if they're able to escape and thrive, pose a threat to native wildlife and established ecosystems. Most hunting occurs on private land, where laws that protect wildlife are often inapplicable or difficult to enforce.

Hunting disrupts migration and hibernation patterns, decimates animal family units, and degrades habitats. Hunting dogs are sometimes are raised in horrible conditions. They may live at the ends of chains until hunting season begins.

The solution is to let the hunting occur on private land that is also run by a private company. If the land is run privately, there is a greater and, more importantly, a direct incentive to protect the animals. An example of where governments fail in their approach to trophy hunting is lions.