Poaching or Trophy Hunting? Walter Palmer, an American dentist, is alleged to have killed a popular male Southwestern African lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe on July 1, 2015 (“Zimbabwe hunter bailed over killing”). Palmer allegedly paid $50,000 USD to lure out Cecil from the Hwange National Park and kill him with a composite crossbow, according to Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (“Zimbabwe hunter bailed over killing”). Ever since the killing of Cecil, international criticism poured throughout social media and protests emerged outside Palmer’s dentist office in Bloomington, MN (Bever). Palmer has since apologized for his actions stating, “I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the
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Not only has poaching has been affecting the number of species around the world but it also has an effect on an animal’s psychology. According to a study by Elizabeth A. Archie and Patrick I. Chiyo, professors at University of Notre Dame, they noticed how “poaching alters elephants’ social and genetic structures” (Archie 766). Archie and Chiyo also states, “poaching seems to increase reproductive skew, which may increase the rate at which genetic diversity is lost from natural populations.” Poaching can drastically affect a population’s natural growth rate faster than any environmental factors such as weather, disease, and …show more content…
Examples of how trophy hunting can help conservation efforts are giving values to certain games and sharing their revenue with the local population, decreasing the cost of maintaining wildlife reserves through trophy hunting safaris, donating money to conservation effects in developing nations (“Trophy Hunting”). However, scientific research has shown that trophy hunting does not benefit animal conservation; in fact, it raises the threat of extinction. According to Peter Lindsey, a Policy Initiative Coordinator for Panthera 's Lion Program, “Trophy hunting has contributed to population declines outside (and inside some) protected areas in Tanzania, a country that holds between 30–50% of Africa’s lions” (1). While some revenue from trophy hunts go to conservation efforts, it is not the major source of income. Most of the revenue generated goes to “commercial outfitters”
Not only has poaching has been affecting the number of species around the world but it also has an effect on an animal’s psychology. According to a study by Elizabeth A. Archie and Patrick I. Chiyo, professors at University of Notre Dame, they noticed how “poaching alters elephants’ social and genetic structures” (Archie 766). Archie and Chiyo also states, “poaching seems to increase reproductive skew, which may increase the rate at which genetic diversity is lost from natural populations.” Poaching can drastically affect a population’s natural growth rate faster than any environmental factors such as weather, disease, and …show more content…
Examples of how trophy hunting can help conservation efforts are giving values to certain games and sharing their revenue with the local population, decreasing the cost of maintaining wildlife reserves through trophy hunting safaris, donating money to conservation effects in developing nations (“Trophy Hunting”). However, scientific research has shown that trophy hunting does not benefit animal conservation; in fact, it raises the threat of extinction. According to Peter Lindsey, a Policy Initiative Coordinator for Panthera 's Lion Program, “Trophy hunting has contributed to population declines outside (and inside some) protected areas in Tanzania, a country that holds between 30–50% of Africa’s lions” (1). While some revenue from trophy hunts go to conservation efforts, it is not the major source of income. Most of the revenue generated goes to “commercial outfitters”