Glossary

Trophy hunting

Hunting wild animals for sport and for a trophy such as a head or skin, a debated practice that is legal and regulated in some countries.

Also called: big game hunting, trophy hunt, canned hunting

Trophy hunting is hunting for sport, where the hunter pays for a licence and keeps a part of the animal, such as a skull, mane or skin, as a trophy. It differs from poaching, which is illegal, because it is carried out under permits, quotas and seasons set by governments. Lions, leopards, and in some places cougars and bobcats, have been hunted this way. People disagree strongly. Supporters say well-managed hunting brings money to rural areas, gives landowners a reason to keep wildlife habitat, and takes limited numbers of older males. Opponents say it is cruel, can disturb the social structure of lion prides when the wrong males are removed, may encourage illegal killing, and that income often does not reach local communities. Assessments of the effects vary between places.

Rules on importing trophies also differ. Some countries have banned or tightened imports of lion and other cat trophies, and international trade is regulated under CITES. Canned hunting, in which animals are bred and shot in fenced areas, is widely criticised, including by many hunters. This entry is general information, not legal advice.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Poaching The illegal killing or capture of wild animals, often for their skins, bones, teeth or meat, a major threat to tigers, leopards and other wild cats. Endangered species A species at high risk of extinction, either under the IUCN Endangered category or on a legal list that protects it, which are different systems. IUCN Red List The international inventory of how close species are to extinction, which sorts them into categories from Least Concern to Extinct. Human-wildlife conflict Harm that people and wild animals cause each other, such as big cats killing livestock and herders killing cats in return. Big cat An informal name for the largest wild cats, usually the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar, and often the snow leopard, cheetah and cougar too.