Is she right though, does trophy hunting play a role in wildlife conservation?

Funds generated by hunters can act as an incentive to conserve animals on large areas of community or private lands which could otherwise be used for agriculture or development. Funds can also help towards law enforcement and provide community benefits.

But couldn't wildlife tourism just do the same? Yes and no, tourism does play a economic role, but only later in a parks life when animal populations are booming. Parks often rely on funds from hunting in early stages to get established. And whilst it is true that an elephant is worth more alive than dead there are some areas in Africa that are simply not suitable for tourism, due to low wildlife populations, political instability or unphotogenic landscapes, these areas sometimes rely on trophy hunting for economic gain.

Still the industry has faced scrutiny over the use of trophy hunting as a conservation management tool. We all remember Cecil, the radio collared king of the jungle, who was illegally shot back in 2015. This event sparked many to question the integrity of hunting practices, major airlines signed up and refused to carry trophies of the 'Big Five', and concerns over declining lion populations led Australia and France to ban lion trophy imports altogether.