Big-game hunting
Big-game hunting is the pursuit and killing of large wild animals, commonly for recreation, trophies, meat, or wildlife management.
Fair chase: An ethical hunting principle that gives hunted animals a reasonable chance to evade capture. It shapes debates about which pursuit methods count as legitimate.
Paleolithic hunting: The hunting of animals by human societies during the Paleolithic, before agriculture became widespread. It provides deep historical context for human pursuit of large animals.
Trophy hunting: Hunting in which the animal or its body parts are valued as a commemorative trophy. It is the most publicly debated recreational form of big-game hunting.
Subsistence hunting: Hunting primarily to obtain food and other necessities for personal or community use. It contrasts with recreational hunts whose central purpose is not subsistence.
African lion: A large cat native to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, living in social groups called prides. Lion hunts illustrate trophy hunting's conservation claims and ethical disputes.
Hunting license: A government-issued authorization to hunt specified species in designated places or seasons. Licenses regulate who may hunt and which animals may be taken.
Teddy Roosevelt: The 26th president of the United States, a conservation advocate and prominent big-game hunter. His hunting and conservation politics helped shape American ideas about wildlife.
Conservation finance: The funding of biodiversity protection and management through public, private, or market-based resources. Hunting fees and permits can finance habitat and wildlife programs.
Poaching: The illegal taking of wildlife in violation of laws or regulations. Legality and compliance distinguish regulated big-game hunts from poaching.
Elephant hunting: The pursuit and killing of elephants, historically for ivory, meat, or trophies. Elephant hunts expose tensions among conservation policy, local livelihoods, and international trade.