Conservation by the bullet: SA’s hunting statistics and the industrial slaughter of wildlife

Conservation by the bullet: SA’s hunting statistics and the industrial slaughter of wildlife - Conservation Action Trust %

What these numbers document is not conservation under pressure, but extraction at scale. They expose trophy hunting not as a people-centred conservation model, but as a market-driven industry serving a narrow, global elite.   Illustrative Image: Rhino silhouette. | Huning rifle sight. (Image: Freepik) | (By Daniella Lee Ming Yesca)   By Adam Cruise  21 Jan 2026     South Africa’s newly released professional hunting statistics tell a story th…

Conservation by the bullet: SA’s hunting statistics and the industrial slaughter of wildlife

By Adam Cruise - Daily Maverick What these numbers document is not conservation under pressure, but extraction at scale. They expose trophy hunting not as a people-centred conservation model, but as a market-driven industry serving a narrow, global elite. South Africa’s newly released professional hunting statistics tell a story that is rarely stated plainly: trophy hunting is not a conservation tool, nor a reluctant compromise at the edges of w…