In every sense of the word, South Africa is diverse; linguistically, with 11 official languages; culturally and religiously with a plethora of popular faiths; and biologically, with 7 major distinct terrestrial biomes, one of which, the Cape Floral Kingdom, is endemic to the region. This biodiversity is, however, under threat due to land expansion, climate change, alien species invasion and much more (Turpie 2013). The loss of ecological settings and species demands that biodiversity should be protected by a variety of management efforts. Traditionally, the protection of biodiversity was reserved for local communities, government agencies, and welfare groups. However, recent land conversion processes have threatened biodiversity, which has
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Trophy hunting has led to the successful conservation of wildlife in southern African countries in both communally owned and privately owned lands. Hunting wildlife for sport allows communities and private owners to protect biodiversity, because they are assured of generating income from tourists when the latter are selectively authorized to hunt some species of animals (Lindsey et al. 2006). Insufficient funds can often hamper the quest to conserve biodiversity, and ecotourism alone does not generate enough income to sustain communally and privately owned parks. The emergence of trophy hunting in this sense has become profitable, specifically in Africa, where tourists selectively hunt game for sport and pay a significant amount for doing so (Lindsey et al. 2007). Zimbabwe's Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) is a point in case, demonstrating that ecotourism when combined with trophy hunting can generate sufficient resources for communities surrounding wildlife reserves. The logic behind CAMPFIRE is very simple and straightforward: people conserve what they value. Some believe that biodiversity should be conserved for its intrinsic value, but the reality is that money, as of yet, is the only universal currency and the future of biodiversity conservation and wildlife will ultimately lie in the hands of the highest
Trophy hunting has led to the successful conservation of wildlife in southern African countries in both communally owned and privately owned lands. Hunting wildlife for sport allows communities and private owners to protect biodiversity, because they are assured of generating income from tourists when the latter are selectively authorized to hunt some species of animals (Lindsey et al. 2006). Insufficient funds can often hamper the quest to conserve biodiversity, and ecotourism alone does not generate enough income to sustain communally and privately owned parks. The emergence of trophy hunting in this sense has become profitable, specifically in Africa, where tourists selectively hunt game for sport and pay a significant amount for doing so (Lindsey et al. 2007). Zimbabwe's Communal Areas Management Program for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) is a point in case, demonstrating that ecotourism when combined with trophy hunting can generate sufficient resources for communities surrounding wildlife reserves. The logic behind CAMPFIRE is very simple and straightforward: people conserve what they value. Some believe that biodiversity should be conserved for its intrinsic value, but the reality is that money, as of yet, is the only universal currency and the future of biodiversity conservation and wildlife will ultimately lie in the hands of the highest