Persuasive Essay On Trophy Hunting

Words: 1034
Pages: 5

What is it that puts trophy hunting in positive light in the public eye? Many will argue that the revenue brought in from trophy hunting benefits economies, the hunting brings awareness to these species, and that it can be educational. Unfortunately, these and more are common misconceptions. Every year, trophy hunters kill thousands of exotic wild animals, representing hundreds of different species. Preferring to kill the most beautiful, largest and the rarest, there is no regard for species protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) such as the African elephant or leopards ("Trophy Hunting - - In Defense of Animals."). The more rare the animal, the more thrill to kill for the “big game” hunters, and the higher the price for the permit. …show more content…
However, while hunters pay roughly $200 million each year for big game hunts in Africa, only around 3 percent of those funds go to local communities, and the amount dedicated to conservation efforts is minimal. The majority of hunting fees ends up lining the pockets of middlemen, large companies and local governments (Schelling, Ameena. "Hunters Say Trophy Hunting Helps Animals. Here's Why They're Wrong."). The Namibian government decided to allow the slaughter of a black rhino as a fundraising mechanism, but those funds didn’t necessarily go back to black rhino conservation as claimed. It goes into a general pot of money set aside to budget any projects including those that have nothing to do with rhinos, or which could even be harmful to rhinos, such as “rural development” (Telecky, Teresa M. "Hunting Is a Setback to Wildlife