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Essay on Big Game, Big Profit

Updated August 13, 2022
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Essay on Big Game, Big Profit essay

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Ethically, ecologically, and economically, Big Game hunting is a topic constantly questioned and most of the time, leaves a group disgruntled. As Big Game hunting has become something of a “conservation effort”, not only everyday people are skeptical. Biologists and environmentalists around the globe are quite perplexed by the idea that killing these animals could potentially benefit the population. This may just be what it is accomplishing, with numbers of universally infatuating animal species being hunted “on trophy”. Leopards, who are a CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Appendix 1 species are not legally hunted for profit, but are legal to hunt non-commercially.

African connoisseurs of the trophy hunting industry will keep sought after trophy animals on large privately owned enclosures for the purpose of paid hunting. Animals such as Kudu, Impala, and Lion are commonly kept in these enclosures, which when killed do not directly impact the population of the wild species. Overlooked by the ignominy associated with trophy hunting in Africa, many of these kills are controlled and profit greatly the citizens of southern Africa.

One may assume that this business is for nothing more than the satisfaction and unreasonable and unjustified killing of such amazing and rare beasts by tourists. Jamaica Kincaid states in The Ugly Tourist, “a tourist is an ugly human being.” (Samuel Cohen, 50 Essays, p. 206) in this case, the statement made may not be completely true. Some African villages will sell rights to hunt on their land in exchange for monetary profit as well as receiving the meat from the fallen animal.

Many of these trophy and big game animals would be killed regardless, as protection for the villages that they have made a home near. “If it pays, it stays” this is a quote that one will often see if research is done on this topic. “if those animals are worth money to a local community, that community will work hard to conserve and protect its assets” (National Geographic, Michael Paterniti, Should We Kill Animals to Save Them? Pgph. 36) this quote is meant to show that much of the time villagers will coexist with dangerous animals only for the sake of profits from trophy-hunt hungry tourists. Lions are much more commonly killed by farmers protecting their livestock and families than by foreign hunters. The people in these villages decide to sell the rights to the kill of these animals that threaten their way of life. This benefit to many villages is a right given to them by only a few countries in Africa, but is extremely effective to bring benefits to the village while the hunter generally gets to take home a trophy (such as skin or head) from the animal.

International tourists comprise a larger portion of conservation efforts than domestic tourists do in Africa, says a study done in 2012. A Survey concluded that 44.9% of international tourists claimed they were there for the purpose of a trophy hunt. Being such a large contribution to the economy and the purpose of many international trips, African countries continually benefit from this, “Annual donations to conservation causes were higher for international tourists… with an average of more than US$70, compared with an average of US$63 for domestic.” (Enrico Di Minin, Descriptive Statistics, pg 253). Bringing such a heavy load to conservation efforts, international tourists encourage growth in the natural environment. The best way to attract these people who give so much revenue to the conservation effort and the economy in these places that, otherwise, would not be tourist hotspots very well might be this type of hunting.

Big game hunting gives many species an advantage, as hunters will target animals who have been harrassing villages or the weakest animal in the region. This needs to be more heavily regulated, as many hunters want the biggest and best-looking kill, and some guides will sadly allow it. Animals like elephants who occasionally destroy annual crops, rhinos who will rummage through villages, leopards who will take livestock, and rarely people will feel the pain of a loved one taken by a lion. These villages who would normally kill an animal anyway will sell the rights to kill the animal terrorizing their village to a foreign hunter. This is of great benefit to both the hunter and village; the tourists trip and wish is fulfilled in killing an african trophy animal while the village is paid and receives the benefits of the animal.

In an article done by The New York Times written about the village of Sankuyo, Botswana, shows how the hunting ban in Botswana as well as many other countries has brought hardship to native peoples. Villages like this depended on the profit they received from hunters for monetary reparations, meat, and protection. The revenue made from tourist hunters would go to running water, toilets, water pipes, and villagers pension, “With the hunting ban, his [a man interviewed from the village] family no longer receives the free meat that hunters left behind. His mother, Gomolemo Semalomba, 58, no longer receives a pension, about $100 twice a year.” (“A Hunting Ban Saps a Village’s Livelihood”, Norimitsu Onishi).

Receiving these benefits from the killing of animals near their village, gave the population reason to coexist and even protect the animals, almost as if they were an opportunity for the village to gain money. With the hunting ban active, lions will prowl around homes as well as a health clinic in the village and slaughter goats and livestock, elephants will steal food that took farmers months to grow. The villagers no longer have a need to coexist with the animals, and many ecologists are concerned that this will lead to the death of many more animals at the hands of the village people.

Big Game hunting is necessary for the wellbeing of many species, as well as benefits many of the villages in Africa. Being able to effectively kill animals with a profit for native people is an extremely valuable thing, in situations where it is the well being of a community of people or the life of an animal, the benefits must be given to human beings. The countries that have put bans on hunting are only hindering their own people’s ability to profit and survive. Potentially driving native people to cause more harm to the animals supposedly being protected. There are plenty of benefits to justify trophy hunting, getting past the odium behind the idea of hunting trophy animals is the most difficult part of the argument. Countries in Africa with excess populations of wildlife, and people feuding with animals have the perfect way to get rid of these animals, solving a problem and making some money in the process. Big game hunting is crucial for the well-being of villages in Africa, and may encourage the indigenous people to protect and coexist with the surrounding animals.

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