The only reason there is any wild life left in Africa is because of legal sport hunters. Or did you think Walt Disneys spends Billions of $$ teaching the animals to talk and making sure they have nice safe cartoon sets to live on?
Tags to hunt Elephants are very expensive, big Bulls start at about 60 g. The animal is going to die anyway, either the poachers will get him or old age will. Specific animals are hunted in areas that just have to many elephants for the habitat to support. Deforestation, habitat destruction, and poaching are the greatest enemy's to wildlife in Africa. Many a time I had to take apart a snare , on my trips there, left on game trails by poachers. Who sell the meat to buy drugs or booze. Often they are to high when they set them, to remember where they are, and all we found were animals left to die a cruel death at the end of a snare. Corrupt local Govt.'s often allow criminals to illegally kill protected Bulls for their ivory and a share of the $$ gained from the illegal ivory market.
Sport hunting is one of the largest industry's in Africa and provides many millions of $$ for habitat and protection of the animals by rangers. It also provides bookoo legit jobs and is a large boon to the tourist industry.
They really despise the American and European nut job Walt Disney crowd over there who have no idea of wild life conservation. Hunters have saved many species here in America as well. Deer, wild turkey, Elk, Grizzly, Ducks, the list goes on. Try searching "Pittman tax". Not only that but many private hunting organizations make large donations to wild life funds and causes. Then you have the licenses, tags, and taxes collected from the many, many jobs the industry creates.
