One fifth of all trophies of endangered species brought home by British hunters are tusks and other parts of African elephants – including ears, feet, tails, and skins. A number of British companies, such as Shropshire firm Blackthorn Safaris, offer Elephant trophy hunting holidays in Africa. A recent report by US Congressional researchers states there were 20 million African elephants at the beginning of the 19th century. Current estimates put the number at around 400,000. 

One-third of Africa’s elephants live in just one country - Botswana, a nation the size of France that banned trophy hunting in 2013. It has twice as many elephants as any other country in Africa. Scientists at IUCN recently divided the African Elephant into two species – the African Savanna Elephant, which it classed as Endangered, and the African Forest Elephant which it said was now Critically Endangered.

British TV presenter Ricky Clark is among the many hunters from the UK who have shot African elephants. Clark says he is turning its feet into umbrella stands. The skins are being used to make rifle cases for his friends.

This unicorn-like creature was declared Extinct in the Wild in the 1970s after the last known animal was shot by a hunter in Oman. However, a breeding programme using zoo animals has prevented the species from disappearing altogether. Since then, 1,000 oryxes have been reintroduced into the wild. 

The government of the UAE – which played a key role in the breeding programme – recently announced that trophy hunters were allowed to shoot them again. Since then, 5 record-class Arabian oryxes have been killed by members of Safari Club International.

In 2014, a British trophy hunter brought home the body of an Arabian oryx he had shot in South Africa. The animal, whose native habitat is the Middle East, had been bred on a private hunting estate there.

Like the Argali and Barbary sheep, the Bighorn is another type of sheep shot by British trophy hunters.

A number of British hunters have travelled to Mexico in recent years to add the impressive horns of these mountain-dwelling animals to their collections.

Bongos are a type of African antelope. They have 1-metre-long horns that are increasingly sought after by trophy hunters. British hunters are among them. 

African conservation groups warn that trophy hunting has led to the animal’s recent disappearance from a number of areas. 

The latest IUCN census suggests numbers are currently in the region of 15,000-25,000 – and falling.

The Canadian (or Canada) Lynx is notable for its huge, fur-covered paws – and its almost exclusive taste for Snowshoe hares. 

Sadly, it has been extensively hunted and farmed for its fur. British trophy hunters have also brought bodies, skins and skulls of these animals back from Canada.

The Cheetah is the fastest land animal on the planet, and is able to reach 100 kmh is just 3 seconds. It is also Africa’s most endangered big cat. They were once present throughout Africa and Asia. Now, however, Cheetahs have vanished from 98% of their range and latest official estimates put their numbers at just 6,500.

Despite this, it is still legal for trophy hunters to shoot cheetahs in Namibia, where they are sometimes hunted with packs of dogs. British hunters have shot cheetahs and brought home their bodies, skulls and skins. A British-owned hunting company offers cheetah hunting experiences.

Cougars – also known as Pumas and Mountain lions – are found in the western states of the US and throughout Central and South America. There are known to be ‘canned hunting’ operators in Argentina that breed cougars in captivity. The animals are then shot in enclosed areas. 

A recent report by the US Congressional Research Service found that trophy hunters are responsible for having “caused population declines in … American cougars.” British hunters have travelled to Canada, the US and Argentina to shoot cougars for sport.

The Eurasian Lynx – once present in the UK - is found throughout much of Russia and Scandinavia, with populations also present in some of Europe’s mountainous regions such as the Alps, Balkans and Carpathians. They can also be found in parts of Central Asia, including the Himalayas. 

It is the largest of the world’s four lynx species. Exact numbers are unknown; however fluctuations have been observed in a number of regions. There have been moves to reintroduce in several parts of Europe where it has disappeared in recent times. 

Shooting a Eurasian Lynx counts towards Safari Club International’s Cats of the World award. Studies show that – as with lions - populations tend to recover quickly when hunting is stopped.

There are actually several monkeys that are known as Guenons. All are African primates, and several are known for their colourful appearance – as well as behaviour! They are naturally curious, have nimble fingers and are good at problem-solving. 

According to CITES, a number of different Guenons have been hunted for trophies. British hunters are among those to have shot them and brought back their bodies as souvenirs.

The Hippopotamus is Africa’s third largest land mammal, after the Elephant and White rhino. Despite their size, they are extraordinarily fast runners and are able to reach speeds of up to 30 mph. They are also adept swimmers, and spend much of their time in the water. 

Hippos are sought after by trophy hunters and poachers alike for their teeth. In 2002 alone, over 5 tons of hippo teeth were exported from Uganda – the equivalent of around 2,000 animals. British hunters are among those to have brought hippo teeth home with them. They have also brought back hippo feet as hunting souvenirs. 

Hippos are the second favourite CITES-listed African animal of British trophy hunters – only elephants are more popular. There are a number of British taxidermists that prepare hippo ‘trophies’ for UK hunters. The current population of hippos is unofficially estimated to be between 115,000 to 130,000 individual animals. Some conservationists fear numbers have declined by up to 20% in the last decade alone.

The African leopard is listed within Appendix I of the CITES treaty, meaning it is considered to be among the world’s most endangered species. Yet it is one of the most hunted of all animals – including by British trophy hunters. 

It is often lured into trees using bait – animals such as zebras are often killed and hung up specifically to lure them. The leopards are then shot out of the tree by trophy hunters waiting in nearby hides, often at point-blank range. Leopards are also sometimes hunted using packs of dogs that chase the animal up a tree, making it easier for the trophy hunter to shoot them.

Population estimates are uncertain, but it is widely believed that numbers have fallen from around 700,000 in the 1960s to approximately 50,000 today – a decline of around 90%. The rate of decline may be increasing: leopards were classed as ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List as recently as 2008. A survey of studies by US Congressional researchers identified trophy hunting as one of the likely causes of the leopard’s rapid decline.

The Nile crocodile is one of several species that are shot as ‘hunting trophies’ – but where the motivation may often be commercial trade. 

CITES trophy permits help wildlife traffickers to acquire the body parts of threatened species. There are multiple instances of bear galls listed on the CITES trade database as ‘hunting trophies’. Large and suspiciously precise numbers of crocodile skins are regularly imported as ‘hunting trophies’ into countries such as Singapore that have little tradition of trophy hunting. Singapore imports very few trophies of any other species. Crocodile ‘trophies’ have come into the country in  batches of 500, 600, 1100, 3300 etc. Singapore has a fast-growing leather luggage and handbag manufacturing industry. 

Singapore is not the only country which frequently receives suspiciously precise imports of crocodile skin ‘hunting trophies’. Other countries include Japan (batches of 500 and 1000) and China (500 and 2000). Like Singapore, trophy hunting is not an activity that has been practised widely by people from these countries.  

CITES records state that most Nile crocodiles that are shot as ‘hunting trophies’ are wild animals. The reality, however, is that a large number are reared and fed by hunt operators and big game breeders.

The Roan is one of Africa’s largest and most powerfully-built antelopes. Its name reflects its reddish-brown colour. The Roan is found in two main groups. The first stretches from Guinea-Bissau and Senegal in the west, through to the border of Ethiopia via Nigeria and the Central African Republic. The second is centred on Angola and Zambia, with a splinter group to the north in Tanzania and a second group to the south around South Africa’s north-eastern border.

The species has vanished from large parts of its range, particularly in west Africa, and is mostly now found in small herds of around 6-20 animals. According to IUCN, its current population is approximately 50,000-60,000, and decreasing.

British trophy hunters have shot these animals in Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Tanzania. The Roan continues to feature in over 20 different prize categories which trophy hunters can win with Safari Club International. They include the African 29 and Animals of Africa awards. The former requires a trophy hunter to shoot at least 29 different African species. The latter requires them to kill at least 80 African animals if they are to win the Diamond prize.

The Siberian ibex is one of the world’s largest goat species. It is notable for its long beard and curvaceous horns. Its fleece has been used in the manufacturing of cashmere. Its range stretches from the western end of the Himalayas reaching north-east into the Altay mountains of Mongolia.

Its conservation threat level was upgraded by IUCN in 2020, and it is now considered at risk of extinction. A study published by IUCN shows that populations are decreasing and are currently believed to be somewhere between 102,000-150,000.

British hunters have recently shot a number of Siberian ibexes in Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan. Diana Hunting – one of a number of hunting holiday brokers – sells Siberian ibex hunts in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Mongolia.

The Spur-winged goose is the largest species of goose in the world – although technically it is closer to the duck family. It is present in much of southern and central Africa. With its long neck and a wingspan of up to 2 metres, it is the largest waterfowl bird on the African continent.

For £500/day, trophy hunters can go on a “wing shooting” trip and kill Spur-winged geese, Francolins, Doves, Helmeted guineafowl, and Egyptian geese. British hunters have flown to South Africa on some of these trips and brought home the bodies and other trophies of this bird.

Walruses are Arctic-dwelling creatures that can weigh a ton and live to the age of 40 years. Their conservation status is increasingly perilous, however. They are highly sensitive to disturbance and pollution. Climate change poses a serious threat to their habitat – and survival. 

There are in fact two sub-species of walrus: the Pacific Walrus and the Atlantic Walrus. Shooting either counts towards several prizes awarded by Safari Club International. The SCI awards rulebook stipulates they can be shot either with a rifle or using a bow. British hunters have travelled to Canada to shoot the animal and have brought back skins and skulls of the animal.

The world’s current Walrus population is estimated to be 112,500.

In January 2020, the IUCN Red List published its latest population estimates for White rhinos. It concluded that the adult population of the animal in the wild was now just 10,080. This compares with a 2010 estimate by IUCN scientists of 20,000 animals. The 2020 IUCN findings added that rhino numbers are continuing to fall.

The problem of rhino poaching has been widely publicised. The impact of rhino trophy hunting, however, is less well-known. Yet records show that the numbers of rhinos killed by trophy hunters have at times been equal or greater than the numbers of animals poached. 

Moreover, the ‘loophole’ in CITES – which bans or severely restricts trade in endangered species but allows the trophy hunting of those same species – has been hugely exploited by wildlife trafficking gangs. Rhino horns worth hundreds of millions of pounds have been labelled as ‘trophies’ and made their way into the illegal wildlife trade. Peasants and prostitutes from Vietnam have been paid to get on planes and pose for photos while pretending to be trophy hunters. The rhino ‘trophy’ has then been given to trafficking syndicates involved in ivory smuggling, such as the one led by notorious Thai crime kingpin Chumlong Lemtongthai. 

In recent years, British trophy hunters have brought home a number of horns, bodies, feet, tails, skins and other trophies of White rhinos that they had shot.

The Yellow-backed Duiker is a small forest-dwelling antelope with short horns that is most commonly found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is also present in Congo, Cameroon, and the southern rim of west Africa. It gets its name from the fact that it has a patch of yellow hair on its hind quarters that stands on end when the animal feels itself to be under threat.

No reliable population estimates have been published since 1999. However, a 2016 assessment by IUCN concluded that its numbers are declining and that the species is now at risk of extinction.

One of 26 species of python, this snake often reaches 20 feet (6 metres) in length.

It lives in southern Africa and feeds mainly on small mammals, although it will occasionally take antelopes.

British hunters have travelled to South Africa and Zimbabwe to acquire trophies of this reptile.

The Argali is a type of sheep that lives in mountainous terrain in Asia. 

Sheep-hunting is surprisingly popular with trophy hunters. There are a number of associations which promote this ‘sport’ such as Grand Slam Club-Ovis. Safari Club International awards prizes to hunters who shoot the most or the largest wild sheep. To win its Mountain Game of the World (Diamond) Award, a trophy hunter has to shoot 12 different kinds of sheep as well as 12 types of goat. The sheep can be shot either using a rifle or with a bow and arrow. 

In October 2017, a member of Safari Club International broke the world record for shooting the largest-known Argali sheep with a pistol.

The Black bear comes third in the list of the most popular CITES-listed animals shot by British trophy hunters. Up to 12-13,000 black bears are shot by trophy hunters from around the world each year. The black bear hunting industry is centred in Canada, which vies with South Africa for the title of world leading trophy exporter. Canada also allows Polar bear trophy hunting – a practice long banned by the US and Russia in their Arctic territories. 

Poachers and wildlife traffickers have often posed as trophy hunters to legally acquire bear galls and genitalia for the illegal wildlife trade. The paws of black bears are sometimes used to make soup.

The Blue duiker is one of a group of animals which trophy hunters call the ‘Tiny 10’. These are miniature antelopes which are often sold as part of a ‘package’ deal by trophy hunting holiday firms. Infinito Safaris, one of a number of companies that offer these deals, says: “The very specialised quest of hunting the timid Tiny Ten, is one that lies close to our hearts. We have hunted these little beauties in every imaginable habitat with rifle, shotgun and bow and arrow.”

Other species classed as ‘Tiny Ten’ animals are the Cape Grysbok, Damara Dik-Dik, Grey Duiker, Klipspringer, Oribi, Red Duiker, Sharpes Grysbok, Steenbuck and Suni. Many of these are popular with British hunters. Unlike the Blue duiker, however, several of them are not listed by CITES – so there is no official data on how many are shot each year. British hunters have posted accounts and photographs of their ‘Tiny Ten’ hunts on forums such as AfricaHunting.com. 

The most recent assessment of Blue duiker populations conducted by IUCN found that their numbers are in decline.

The Bontebok is another southern African antelope. It was driven to the brink of extinction by colonial trophy hunters. In 1830, there were only 22 animals left. Another southern African antelope, the Bloubok, is believed to have been wiped out altogether by British trophy hunters at around the same time.

Current estimates of the Bontebok’s population range between 515 – 1,618.

The Caracal is considered by some as a type of lynx, and is sometimes referred to as the African or Desert Lynx. It shares the distinctive tufts on the tips of its ears so characteristic of ‘true’ lynxes such as its Iberian, Eurasian and Canadian cousins.

It is one of the most popular CITES-listed animals shot by British trophy hunters, making it into their ‘top ten’. Caracals are often hunted using packs of dogs. Shooting an African caracal can cost as little as £250 although the inclusion of a pack of hounds could add an additional £1,000 to the price tag. British trophy hunters have taken part in such hunts.

Caracals are also sometimes bred in captivity for ‘canned hunts’ – where the target is shot within an enclosure. The practice is most commonly associated with lions but is increasingly used with leopards and other big cats too.

The Dama gazelle is a central African antelope that roams the Sahara Desert during the rainy season, and bushland areas at other times of the year. The species has been declared Critically Endangered by IUCN. Its population is now just 100-200 – and is still falling. The remaining animals are thought to be scattered across 5 or 6 small herds.  

The species is described by Scientific American as being on a “fast track to extinction. In the last decade, some 80% of the wild population vanished, primarily the result of unbridled hunting and habitat destruction.” Along with the black rhino, the Dama gazelle is listed by the journal as being among the 10 species most likely to go extinct this century.

Safari Club International’s Record Book reveals that its members were still in hot pursuit of the biggest Dama gazelles in the wild as recently as the mid-1970s.

The Gelada is sometimes called the Gelada baboon or Bleeding-heart baboon. However it is not a baboon; rather, it is an Old World monkey and is found in Ethiopia’s highlands.

It is popular mostly with Russian and American trophy hunters, but has also been shot by British, German and French hunters. It is also sometimes captured for use in laboratory experiments. 

Numbers of Geladas are currently declining.

Baboons - a type of monkey - are surprisingly popular with trophy hunters, perhaps because they are so cheap (in some cases, they are offered free). The Hamadryas baboon is among the most sought-after. 

They are mostly found in Ethiopia and Somalia, although there are also animals in the south-western part of the Gulf region. The Hamadryas baboon is keen-sighted and eats mostly fruits and insects. Grooming forms an important part of its behaviour as it creates bonds between individual animals.

There are few animals so renowned for their ferocity as the Honey badger! However, this is partly undeserved as they often go out of their way to avoid trouble. Moreover, their robust behaviour is arguably essential for survival – not least when they take on venomous snakes. Their favourite food is, of course, honey.

Their range extends to the Arabian peninsula and India. British hunters will usually travel to South Africa and Namibia to shoot them for sport and souvenirs. 

Numbers are currently on the wane, according to IUCN.

Despite the furore that surrounded the killing of Cecil, lions remain one of the world’s most popular targets of trophy hunters. Hundreds of lions are shot by trophy hunters every year. British trophy hunters are among their number. Lions feature in the top five CITES-listed species shot by British hunters.

The impact of trophy hunting on lions has been widely studied, and there is near-unanimous consensus that trophy hunting is one of the principal causes of lion population declines. 

A 2015 study for IUCN concluded that there were fewer than 20,000 lions in the wild. Numbers are believed to have continued to decline ever since. A 2022 count by LionAid could only confirm the presence of 9,610 lions in the wild. The population of lions in the 1970s, by contrast, was thought to be in the region of 200,000.

Studies in Zimbabwe – where Cecil was killed - have shown trophy hunting to be the leading cause of non-natural mortality among lion populations. Studies here and in Zambia have also shown that lion populations can recover rapidly when trophy hunting is prohibited. The species has lost 15% of its gene pool over the last century as a result of the largest lions being shot by hunters. Biologists warn that the loss of just 5% of the ‘best’ remaining adult males may trigger the lion’s extinction. US government officials have reportedly said they believe the lion could become extinct in the wild as soon as 2050. This would have widespread impacts on ecosystems in Africa – and would be the first big cat extinction on earth since the Sabre-tooth tiger which died out in pre-historic times.

The Nilgai – whose name translates as Blue Cow - is an antelope that lives mostly in India and the southern slopes of the Himalayan mountains. It is Asia’s largest antelope species, and its population is thought to range between 70,000 to 100,000 animals.

The Nilgai is also bred in captivity on American hunting estates for trophy hunters to shoot.

A Nilgai trophy counts towards a number of Safari Club International prizes, including the Asia 8 and Animals of Asia awards. The latter award requires a trophy hunter to shoot 15 different kinds of Asian wild animal in order to be eligible for  the group’s Diamond prize.

The Olive baboon is one of the largest baboon species, measuring up to 3 feet in height. It has one of the widest ranges of all baboons in Africa and can be found in over 20 countries on the continent. They often sleep in trees and nestled in crevices on rocky cliffs.

Human encroachment on their habitat has led to a number of reports of Olive baboons raiding rubbish bins and crop fields.  

Although not as popular among trophy hunters as Chacma baboons, the Olive Baboon is still shot in large numbers by international trophy hunters for their skins, skulls and bodies.

The Scimitar-horned oryx is one of the most recent species to be hunted to extinction, disappearing from the wild in the late 20th century. 

The species vies with the Arabian oryx - also recently hunted to extinction - for the title of being the inspiration behind the legend of the Unicorn. Viewed from the side, it is easy to see why people thought the animal had a single horn.

The last SCI Record Book-eligible animal shot by one of its members was killed in February 1974 in Oum Chalouba, Chad. There have been no confirmed sightings of the animal since the late 1980s-early 1990s. The Scimitar-horned oryx was formally declared Extinct in the Wild by IUCN in 1998. 

In recent years, British trophy hunters have travelled to private ranches in the US and South Africa where the animal is bred in captivity for hunters to shoot. Since 2007, British hunters have brought home 34 Scimitar-horned oryx trophies.

The Sitatunga is a small, rare antelope. It inhabits swampy regions mainly in central Africa. The species’ range stretches from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo and Gabon down to the northern edges of Botswana and Namibia via Zambia – where most British hunters go to shoot them. 

IUCN data shows that their numbers are in decline – hunting and snaring are among the causes pinpointed by African conservationists – with numbers now in the region of 90,000-120,000. 

Sitatunga can also be sport-hunted in the US, where private ranches breed and sell them to hunters for $15,500-16,000.

The Common tsessebe is a member of the same family as the Wildebeest, and is one of Africa’s fastest animals. At full sprint, it can reach speeds of up to 90 kmh. The Tsessebe is also one of Africa’s largest antelope species. The most recent estimate of the Tsessebe’s population was calculated in 1999 and put numbers at around 30,000. 

British trophy hunters have mostly travelled to Botswana to shoot these animals until the country banned all trophy hunting. Trophy hunting holidays to shoot Tsessebe, Wildebeest and other antelopes can be freely purchased on the internet via websites such as BookYourHunt.com.

The White-faced whistling duck is found in much of sub-Saharan Africa as well as tropical areas in the eastern part of South America. A highly docile bird, it has a distinctive high-pitched whistle that is most commonly heard at night whilst the bird is feeding. They are most likely to be found in large flocks near floodplains. 

Several British hunters have travelled to South Africa to shoot them. Hunting holidays can also be purchased in Argentina where the White-faced whistling duck can be shot as part of a ‘package’ including Chiloé wigeons, Fulvous whistling ducks, Red shoveler ducks, Rosy-billed pochards, White-cheeked pintails and Yellow-billed ducks, among others.

The Wild cat is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. All three count towards Safari Club International hunting prizes. The most recent Wild cat entries in the SCI Record Book were shot by clients of Stormberg Elangeni Safaris (African wildcat), HuntGeo (Asian wildcat) and European Hunting Adventures (European Wildcat). 

It is in Africa that the largest numbers are shot and from where all Wild cat trophies brought into the UK have come from. Most were shot in South Africa, but some were killed in Namibia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The American bison and American buffalo are one and the same. This extraordinary animal – that can weigh over a ton yet run at 35 mph - nearly disappeared in the 19th century. From a population of over 60 million, just 541 animals were left by 1889.

Despite successive measures to reintroduce the species, its survival is still under threat. In July 2022, a special assessment was published by IUCN which declared the species was Critically Depleted – just one notch below Extinct in the Wild. It went on to say that the species was “absent from many of its indigenous spatial units”. Its remaining population is estimated to be between 11,248-13,123.

It was recently revealed that a British lion and giraffe hunter has also hunted American Bison. CITES records show he is not the first to have done so.

The Yellow baboon is yet another of the many primates regularly shot by British and other trophy hunters. 

They are generally found in woodland areas, and spend much of their time on the forest floor foraging for roots, seeds, fruits and leaves. The Yellow Baboon tends to live in troops numbering anywhere from 20 to 180 animals. The latter half of its scientific name - cynocephalus – refers to the fact it has a dog-like face and head. 

Its range is mainly concentrated along Africa’s eastern region, stretching southwards from Somalia and Kenya into Tanzania. It is here that British hunters have largely hunted them, although some have been shot in Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. Among them were a number of “ranched” animals, according to CITES – in other words, they were either reared in captivity or snatched from the wild as young animals.  

Hunting and habitat destruction are the two principal threats facing the species.

The Hartmann zebra, also known as Hartmann’s mountain zebra, is found mainly in the western half of Namibia. It has fast-growing hooves to help it cope with mountainous terrain. It is slightly larger than its Cape mountain cousin. Its stripes are often a little wider too.

It is the most popular of the zebras hunted by British and other trophy hunters. IUCN has classed it as a vulnerable species with a population of just 33,265 animals in the wild. Unofficial estimates suggest the number could be even lower.

The Aardwolf is a type of hyena. These nocturnal creatures enjoy eating insects such as termites. Their sticky tongues mean they can eat as many as 300,000 termites in a single night.

Aardwolf trophy hunting fees start at £1,135.

Credit: Aardwolf (Proteles cristata septentrionalis) in Buffalo Springs National Park, Isiolo, Kenya. Stefan Haag

The Black rhino is one of the most endangered animals in the world, with just 3,142 individuals remaining in the wild. Sussex trophy hunter Paul Roberts – who has described trophy hunting as “like mainlining on heroin” - is among those to have hunted them in recent years.

Two hundred years ago, there were as many as one million rhinoceroses on the planet. The black rhino was in fact the most numerous of Africa’s rhinos. As recently as the 1970s there were still some 65,000 of these animals.

British colonial hunters killed them in huge numbers. John Alexander ‘J A’ Hunter, a Scottish hunter and game keeper, killed over 1,000 rhinos between 1944 and 1946 alone. His final tally of black rhinos is estimated to be in the region of 1,500.

The Bobcat is one of the world’s four lynx species, alongside the Canada Lynx, Eurasian Lynx and the Iberian Lynx – the world’s most endangered big cat. Bobcat numbers are currently stable. 

It is particularly popular among American hunters and is one of the big cats that trophy hunters can kill in order to win Safari Club International’s Cats of the World award. A minimum of 4 different big cats must be shot to pick up the prize. Other eligible felines include lions, cheetahs, leopards, and African or European Wild cats.

Bobcat hunts can be purchased online for as little as £320.

British trophy hunters travel widely to acquire souvenirs of Brown bears – including the US and Canada, and Russia and Romania. CITES records show that British hunters have also shot Brown bears in Kazakhstan and Croatia. 

The trophies have included bodies, skins and skulls. 

The Brown fur seal (also known as the Afro-Australian fur seal) can be found around the coast of south-west Africa – including South Africa, Namibia and Angola – as well as around Tasmania and south-eastern Australia. It faces a number of threats including pollution from oil spills, pesticides, plastic and fishing nets which kill thousands of animals every year. Fur seals are also shot by fishermen.

Hunts for a number of seal species can be purchased on websites such as BookYourHunt.com. Prices for Grey seal hunts in Finland start at just £750, for instance.

The Chacma baboon is another African species to make it into the ‘top ten’ of British hunters’ preferences. Around 500 of these and other primates – who share over 90% of their DNA with humans - have been shot by British trophy hunters, according to CITES. A British businessman has spoken of his “obsession” with shooting baboons. A British taxidermy firm in Buckinghamshire is among those to provide taxidermy services to British baboon hunters. 

Some hunting companies do not charge hunters to shoot them, regarding them as ‘vermin’, while others use bait to lure them. 

British-owned firms are among those that sell baboon hunting experiences.

The Collared Peccary is a pig-like creature found in Mexico, Central America, most of South America, and Arizona and Texas. It is generally only in the US that they are hunted for sport. It is also sometimes known as the Javelina, Musk Hog or Skunk pig. It is not actually a pig, however.

Safari Club International presents a special prize to trophy hunters who shoot Collared peccaries. Its Wild Pigs and Peccaries of the World Diamond award asks hunters to shoot at least 7 different kinds of these animals. Other eligible species on the list include Warthogs, Forest Hogs, Bushpigs, and Wild Boar.

Grivets are another East African primate, found mainly in Ethiopia and Sudan and surrounding areas. They spend most of their time on the ground, but are strong swimmers too. They prefer fruits – which they often stuff into their cheeks to carry with them – but will eat insects and very occasionally small mammals.

They are one of several primate species shot by British trophy hunters, who have brought home skins, skulls and other trophies of the animal. 

IUCN says that Grivet numbers are falling.

The Himalayan blue sheep, also known as the Blue sheep or Bharal, is one of a number of wild sheep species pursued by trophy hunters from around the world, including from the UK. As its name suggests, the Himalayan blue sheep is found in the higher mountain regions of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Pakistan. Its range also includes parts of China and Myanmar. Its population is unknown, with IUCN estimates ranging from 47,000 to 414,000 individuals.

They are hardy animals able to withstand extreme cold and desert conditions alike. They have extraordinary climbing abilities too. Himalayan blue sheep are also an important source of food for leopards in this region.

The Lechwe is a small antelope native to southern Africa. There is more than one Lechwe species, the most common – and the most popular among trophy hunters - being the Red Lechwe. 

Its population is in decline, with around 80,000 believed to remain. Most are in groups scattered around Angola, Botswana and Zambia.  

According to CITES, it is one of the animals most likely to be captive-bred for trophy hunting. The vast majority of Lechwes shot in South Africa will have been reared on private ranches for trophy hunters to shoot.

The Mantled Guereza or Guereza monkey is a large black and white primate found in the lowland rainforests of equatorial Africa. Its diet consists mainly of leaves, and the creature is considered sacred by some cultures. 

There has been a marked decline in numbers of Colobus-family primates over the past century, thanks largely to hunting and deforestation. The trade in guereza skins also poses a threat. 

Hunters from Britain and other countries have shot them for their skins, skulls, teeth, skeletons and other trophies.

The most recent IUCN Red List study of Guerezas, published in 2019, confirms that numbers are falling.

The Markhor is a wild goat that lives in high mountains. It is Pakistan’s national symbol and is notable for its large, spiral horns. 

The Markhor was wiped out from parts of Asia by British trophy hunters during the colonial era. It is classed as an Appendix I species by CITES. Despite this, it continues to be prized by trophy hunters from around the world – including from Britain.

The North American River otter is found throughout much of the US and Canada, and is an animal as much at home on land as it is in the water. They have long bodies and short legs, and whiskers that help them to detect prey – mainly fish and frogs. They are renowned for their playful behaviour. 

British and other trophy hunters have shot them for their skins.

In spite of growing concern that the species could go extinct as a result of climate change, the trophy hunting of Polar bears remains legal in Canada. Conversely, Polar bear hunting  has been prohibited by Russia and the United States in their respective Arctic territories. The US also forbids its trophy hunters from bringing home Polar bear trophies. British trophy hunters are still permitted to bring in theirs, however – at least for now.

The current population of Polar bears is estimated to be in the region of 23,000-26,000. Over the past 50 years, around twice this number have been shot for their skins and for ‘sport’. The majority will have been killed for the growing commercial trade in Polar bear skins that are increasingly popular among China’s middle-class. The pursuit of the biggest bears for rugs and trophies has led to growing evidence of artificial selection, as the bears left behind to breed are more likely to be the smaller and ‘weaker’ individuals. This could prove disastrous in the bear’s battle to overcome the challenges of climate change.

Despite Canadian government efforts to engage them as trackers, few Inuits have chosen to work in the industry. Trophy hunting of bears is not a tradition among indigenous communities. Indeed, bears are often revered as spirit creatures in local culture. Of the few that have agreed to be employed, few have seen any substantial benefits to themselves or their communities. On the other hand, Polar bear sight-seeing on land and at sea is proving popular. One ‘photo safari’ ship alone generates as much in revenue as the entire Polar bear trophy hunting industry.

The Serval could be mistaken for being a hybrid animal, a cross between a leopard and wild cat. It shares the leopard’s spots and tail, but its face and size is closer to that of an African wild cat. To confuse things further, its ears are not dissimilar to those of a Bat-eared fox. It also has what appear to be disproportionately long legs. However, this combination allows it to detect even the slightest movement of a prey species – and then perform a spectacular leap to catch it.

Their leopard-like appearance means they are often mistaken for their larger cousins and persecuted as a potential threat to livestock. They are also sold by most hunt operators in southern Africa. 

Among the Serval cats recently shot by British hunters is a captive-bred animal – in other words, a ‘canned’ serval bred to be hunted and killed inside a fenced enclosure.

The Vervet monkey is a small, tree-dwelling silver-grey primate that feeds primarily on fruit, flowers, leaves and insects. They are highly social animals, although the average size of troops has fallen in recent times as have overall numbers.

Vervet monkeys are among the cheapest animals that trophy hunters can shoot, with fees usually under £100 and sometimes less than £50. They are also among the most popular. One British hunter interviewed in Undercover Trophy Hunter spoke of shooting multiple Vervet monkeys out of trees. Another said his 9-year-old son shot so many of them that he had earned the nickname “The Sniper” from other trophy hunters. 

British hunters have mostly hunted Vervet monkeys in South Africa, where they are most plentiful, although some were shot in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Interestingly, some of the animals shot in South Africa have been assigned an ‘R’ source code by CITES. This means they have been “ranched” – which CITES explains as meaning “animals reared in a controlled environment, taken as … juveniles from the wild.”

The Grey wolf – like the Wildcat – is present in three major continents. In this instance, Africa is replaced by North America. Within North America, the Grey wolf is present mostly in Canada, Alaska and the Rocky Mountains. In Europe, it is largely found in Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and there is also a small population in the Iberian Peninsula. Its geographical range in Asia encapsulates the Middle East, India and the northern half of China. 

Wolf hunts can be bought relatively easily on the internet. An American wolf hunt, for instance, can be purchased online with a debit card and cost around £2,000. Additional animals such as Lynx and Cougars can be added to the ‘package’. 

Prizes can be won by SCI members who shoot wolves in any of these regions. All three are eligible for the SCI Record Book too. The different sizes of each sub-species mean that the requirements differ in each case.

British hunters have travelled widely in search of trophy wolves. They have flown to Canada and the US; they have hunted them in Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Romania, Bulgaria and Lithuania; and they have even travelled as far as Mongolia. The trophies they have brought home include an assortment of bodies, skins, skulls and teeth.

The Cape mountain zebra is the smallest of the zebra species. There were once large numbers of this animal. However, extensive hunting for its skin almost wiped it out in the 1930s. 

The latest IUCN Red List assessment of the animal’s survival prospects, published in 2019, estimated the total adult population to number just 1,714 individuals. It also found the remaining population to be thinly spread among 75 sub-groups – many of them unlikely to be viable in the long term. The consequent loss of genetic diversity, in-breeding and possible hybridisation with other zebra species is compounding the serious challenges it faces.

Records show that British trophy hunters were shooting Cape mountain zebras as recently as 2019.