A Compromise to Trophy Giraffe Hunting Practices

Although trophy hunting has its pros and cons, there are some areas that are in need of improvement. First of all, hunters need to be trained on how to kill such a large animal like a giraffe. No hunter has 100% accuracy with their target, but missing their target will cause unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal. Hunting professionals that lead these operations need to be able to assess the ability of the hunter and stop them from hunting if they do not possess the required skills to kill the giraffe quickly. This could be done through prior target practice before the actual hunt. The professional also needs to be able to assist in the shooting if the tourist does in fact miss their target in order to take the animal down quickly and lessen its suffering.

Another area that needs to be addressed is the use of the parts of the animal after it is hunted. Meat from the species is edible to humans. Although the trophy hunter may pay for their right to the carcass, there is no reason for the meat to go to waste if the hunter does not want it. Its body should be utilized to its full potential for the benefits of humans. This would help in the fact that the death of the animal was not for just a trophy, but also for the purpose of feeding people.

Another, more important, area that needs to be taken into consideration is the population numbers of the areas where it is legal to trophy hunt the species. If the populations where it is legal to hunt is decreasing over the years, then trophy hunting should be made illegal in order to conserve the species population. In areas where the population numbers are increasing, then there should be no problem with making trophy hunting illegal, as long as it keeps the conservation of the population in affect.

"Should the Trophy Hunting of Giraffes Be Banned?" Focusing on Wildlife. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. <http://focusingonwildlife.com/news/poll-should-the-trophy-hunting-of-giraffes-be-banned/>.