Trophy hunting involves the killing of wild animals for recreation and trophies. Its conservation value is contested and its welfare implications are significant. The debate requires honest engagement with both evidence and values.
Trophy hunting welfare harms are clear and well-documented. Wounded animals that escape initial shots experience prolonged pain and distress. The selective removal of the largest, oldest males disrupts pride social structure in lions, leading to infanticide by incoming males. Even well-placed shots cause suffering in the time between hit and death. The conservation argument for hunting — that it creates incentives for habitat protection — is contested by economists and conservation biologists. The UK's 2023 import ban reflects a policy judgment that the welfare and conservation costs of trophy hunting outweigh the claimed benefits. Alternative models that generate conservation income without lethal wildlife use are expanding across southern and eastern Africa.