Rhinos

What is trophy hunting?

A form of hunting selected animals where the hunter
keeps a part of the animal, usually the head or the skin.

Status

Population: Around 30,000 (end of 2015)

Range: Grasslands and open savannas

Risk Status: Critically Endangered

Trophy Hunting Arguments

In favor of trophy hunting:

The rhinos that are hunted are usually old and aggressive
rhinos that kill not only males, but also females and calves in fights.

Funds raised from selling hunting permits go back into rhino conservation (permits can go up to $350,000).

The countries that allow rhino hunting permits have the largest rhino populations (Namibia and South Africa). South Africa has 93% of the worlds white rhino population.

Against trophy hunting:

Doesn't make sense financially. 70% of people would pay to view animals on a safari, while only 7% of people would pay to hunt them.

Hunters are not like natural predators. They target the largest rhinos, the ones with the biggest horns, which leads to the "survival of the weak" where the biggest and strongest rhinos are constantly kills only leaving the weak ones to reproduce.

While hunters pay upwards of $200M a year to hunt game, only about 3% of that goes towards local communities and even less goes to conservation.

Trophy hunting only makes up as little as 1.8% of tourism revenue, while nonlethal tourism brings in many more tourists and much more money.

My opinion -

I think the trophy hunting of rhinos should be made illegal and ultimately banned in East African countries because it doesn't make sense financially or ethically.

Financial-wise, the numbers are not in favour of trophy hunting.
Firstly, the majority of people (70%) would pay to view animals on a safari, whereas only 7% of people would rather pay to hunt them. To add on, trophy hunting only makes up a small percentage (1.8%) of total tourism revenue, while non-lethal tourism, such as the previously discussed safaris, bring in many more tourists and a lot more money.

Ethically, trophy hunting is just wrong. Everyone knows killing animals, especially critically endangered ones, feels and is just wrong. When rhinos are trophy hunted, the aggressive and large ones are targeted. The effect of this is that with all the big and strong rhinos killed, it only leaves the weak ones to reproduce resulting in a weaker rhino population.

In conclusion, I believe the trophy hunting of rhinos should be banned because it is not logical. There is more money in non-lethal tourism, and the hunting of strong rhinos is detrimental to the entire rhino population.

Works Cited:

“AWF – Check out the Rhino!” African Wildlife Foundation, 21 Aug. 2017, www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/rhinoceros.

“Can trophy hunting actually help conservation?” Conservation, 26 Aug. 2015, conservationmagazine.org/2014/01/can-trophy-hunting-reconciled-conservation/.

“Do you support trophy hunting of rhinos?” Do you support trophy hunting of rhinos? | Discover Wildlife, www.discoverwildlife.com/poll/do-you-support-trophy-hunting-rhinos.

Flocken, Jeffrey. “Trophy hunting: 'Killing animals to save is wrong'.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 May 2015, www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/trophy-hunting-not-conservation-flocken/index.html.

Metro.co.uk, Oliver Wheaton for. “What is trophy hunting and why is it legal?” Metro, 27 July 2017, metro.co.uk/2017/07/27/what-is-trophy-hunting-and-why-is-it-legal-6809945/.

Schelling, Ameena. “Hunters Say Trophy Hunting Helps Animals. Here's Why They're Wrong.” The Dodo, The Dodo, 5 Oct. 2015, www.thedodo.com/does-hunting-help-conservation-1389284014.html.

Thompson, Matt. “Radiolab Takes on Whether Trophy Hunting Can Aid Conservation.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 8 Sept. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/notes/2015/09/radiolab-on-whether-trophy-hunting-can-aid-conservation/404350/.