What motivates trophy hunters?

What motivates trophy hunters?

Africa is with no question rich in natural resources and an amazing wildlife, most impotently “The big five” animals . For many years people have been visiting African destinations to experience the wonderful wildlife and get the best view incompatible to Zoos. The big five animals are going into extinction and there seems to be less and less of them each year, yet people are still poaching them and hunting for them just to get a simple trophy.

Hunting for these animals just for the sake of getting a trophy is unethical, some people would say. Rather than protecting them they are being killed. Some trophy hunters on the other hand feel that hunting for the animals is good for conservation, but in other ways is it not the same as poaching by the legal way? The trophy hunters also go on to argue that the money used to pay for the hunting goes towards the improvements of the environment and local communities, for example in places such as Namibia. African governments could do a lot more to make sure that people are banned from poaching or hunting animals because this could be good for the economy and in preserving wildlife . If these animals go extinct there will be nothing for people to see and the future generations ahead and it could reduce tourist numbers to Africa because there will not have a reason to go anymore. People who hunt or poach for animals should get a punishment for it. In July 2015 the killing of Cecil the lion is Zimbabwe got a media frenzy when an American dentist killed him for a trophy. The story was covered all over the media, the reason why it got so much spark was because Cecil was loved by a lot of people and was part of an Oxford University study. The dentist however was not charged for his actions despite people protesting for his punishment.

Motivators

Status / people want to have a status within their circle of friends

Proof of manhood

Power and masculinity

Need to prove oneself by killing dangerous animals

Social acceptance

Control and power by wealthy man

Thrill element of danger and a thought of achievement, the more money a person has the more they feel the need to prove themselves and to other people

Killing these animals might bring a sense of achievement to these people, but it does not take away the fact that the numbers of these animals are still decreasing each year.  The death of Cecil raised awareness on how much wild life is important for Africa. Finally they need more protection from the authorities.

References

Espley , S. (2015 ). Why the hunting conservation hurts conservation. Retrieved from http://magazine.africageographic.com/weekly/hunting-canned-hunting-trophy-hunting-debate/.

Allison, S. (2015, December 25). Stories of 2015: Man who identified Cecil the lion's killer vows death will not be in vain. The guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/25/cecil-the-lion-zimbabwe-conservation-johnny-rodrigues