Wild life trophy hunting is legal in many African countries. Big-cat trophy hunting is regarded by many as primitive in this day and age. So why would a country like Zambia lift the ban on the shooting and killing of its precious lion and leopard populations?
The answer is very clear – it is the need for foreign currency in order to fund sustainable wildlife programmes, which can be costly, and also to benefit local communities. Trophy hunting is a multi-million dollar industry – a licence to shoot a lion can cost up to $25,000 (£15,000) in neighbouring countries.
Zambia’s economy was built on the back of copper mining but now commodities are on a cyclical downward spiral. Consequently the country’s currency, the kwacha, has lost a substantial amount of its value.
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