It seems disingenuous to argue that allowing the hunting and killing of animals for sport could be a useful tool for conservation, but it is an argument increasingly made in support of hunting lodges, estates and organisations.
Whilst the idea of hunting big game is considered somewhat colonialist, not to mention cruel, amongst the majority of the British population, the notion still holds some appeal, particularly in the US where hunting is still very much part of the national identity.
It’s therefore perhaps harder for us to accept this as a viable argument, but there is some merit to it; the greatest issue facing the survival of many animals and habitats is market capitalism, where the profit motive will always seek to create supply where there is demand.
Where standards of living are poor, it’s near-impossible to keep a population from developing land, or to keep individuals from killing animals for their valuable by-products like ivory and skins. Reserves exist, but funding them is a constant battle as they can only generate limited revenue.
Limited revenue means limited protections for the animals, and thus they fall prey to poachers; could it be then that hunting, with it’s considerable revenue streams, provides a habitat-protecting answer?