“That’s fresh, just a few hours old,” says Kris Everatt, pointing at a clear print of a lion’s paw in the hot dust. “It’s the ghost pride.”

South Africa is the most popular hunting destination on the continent. The wealth of species on offer, the wide range of hunting experiences, overall affordability and fantastic infrastructure all contribute to a world-class African hunting destination.

he growing appetite for 'conservation holidays' has shone a light on the dark – and poorly regulated – industry of lion farming, where felines are destined not to be 'released into the wild' - but to be shot by trophy hunters and their bones exported to Asia for use in traditional medicine.

Trophy hunting in Africa is no different to the harvesting of surplus wild animals by farmers in countries like Sweden to keep populations at sustainable levels. And it is largely because of hunting that South Africa and Namibia have been responsible for the world’s biggest-ever rewilding of former agricultural land. 

The government would ensure that “reinstatement of hunting is done in an orderly and ethical manner” and in accordance with the law and regulations, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism said in emailed statement.

The debate surrounding Botswana’s recent decision to lift the hunting ban is highly polarised, and both sides have marshalled various facts and figures to argue their case. These figures, especially the numbers of living and poached elephants, are hotly debated and contested, with some even questioning the motives behind the research.

I find it rather sad that Don Pinnock continues to lambast the character and “type” the persons involved in trophy hunting. He refers to them as wealthy, elite, callous and cruel.

Every day, local hunting outfitters and organizations receive a number of hostile e-mails and phone calls decrying their contribution to the deterioration of endangered animal species, begging them to rather focus on animal conservation, or bombarding them with threats.

Today’s poaching crisis that faces species such as elephants, lions and rhinos has spurred renewed debate in the country over the effetiveness of wildlife farming (also known as captive breeding or ranching) as a strategy through which to reduce pressures on wild populations while continuing to satisfy consumer demand with legal, sustainably farmed alternatives.

The Zambia National Community Resources Board Association (ZNCRBA) has called for the immediate suspension of trophy hunting in all hunting blocks until the government releases all funds owed to communities through the individual Community Resource Boards (CRBs).

Recently, the UK Government stated it would consider banning the import of trophies from hunted animals in Africa. This decision, a brief internet search reveals, has been celebrated by animal rights groups.

Curiously, I see no substantiation of these claims; not a single appeal to scientific evidence.

The hunting of wild animals is an emotive issue, drawing fire from anti-hunting organisations, environmentalists as well as many ordinary citizens.

Drones are taking up the skies all over the world. They come in different sizes and shapes. Ultimately, the use and applications of drones are the responsibility of their human users, as well as any damage caused by the drones. 

In listing 32 wild animal species as farm animals under the Animal Improvement Act in 2019, the Department of Agriculture went against the recommendations of the government’s own scientific authority.

Tourism has become an important economic sector for most African countries in the last two decades. There has been increased investments in product development and enhancement, aggressive marketing, coupled with appropriate business-friendly socio-political reforms.

Wildlife conservation hasn’t escaped the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In sub-Saharan Africa, almost 1,400,000 km² of land spread across many countries — from Kenya to South Africa — is dedicated to “trophy” (recreational) hunting. This type of hunting can occur on communal, private, and state lands.

The polarised debate between anti- and pro-trophy hunting advocates is almost invariably incendiary and centred around far-reaching claims and emotional responses, from whether or not recreational hunting benefits specific species to its impact on local economies.

If you want to be the number one enemy in rural African communities, tell them to stop using their land for cattle production.