Trophy Hunting with Maxi Louis, Lorna Dax & John Mwilima

This week's show is very exciting & important for so many reasons. So let's explain. This is a first for Into The Wild. This is our first ever panel show recorded with 3 guests over zoom. Not only a first for us though, it's a first for the UK & likely, many other western countries. As we are discussing the topic of trophy hunting...."But that's been done Ryan?" Yeah, I know, but to my knowledge, never has this chat taken place while purely chatting to the people it directly affects. 3 local, key wildlife & community workers of Namibia. These people are, Maxi Louis, who has over 22 years of experience working with communities in conservation. John Mwilima, a member & advisor of the Banumu conservancy. And finally, Lorna Dax manager of the Khaodi & Haos conservancy.

You may already have your opinions & views on trophy hunting, I did before I started the chat, however, I ask you to leave them here. This show is about talking to local people, whose lives & livelihoods depend on trophy hunting (or, since this interview, I now call, conservation hunting.) Maxi, Lorna & John don't just look at records or stats & bits of paper, they see the impacts of conservation hunting. From the benefit to the people & local communities, the animals & their survival & the habitat & environment.

It's easy for us in England, or America, or France, or Australia etc to criticise a method such as conservation hunting, however, we do not live in this country. We should be listening to the people that live in these areas & learn more about methods like this. As highlighted in this show, African people have harvested animals for hundreds of years, this isn't new. Also as pointed out, it is heavily regulated.

But, I don't want to give anything away. I also don't want you to think you have to leave here being pro conservation hunting. You don't. That's up to you. All you have to do is listen to these 3 voices that are too often, ignored when talking about this topic. For me, I've learnt so much more & understand it far greater. Could I hunt? No way. Do I understand why Americans or Britain's pay all this money to hunt? Not really. Do I think it's wrong, damaging & needs to stop? Not anymore.

If you'd like to get in touch regarding the topic of conservation hunting from today's show then I'd love to hear from you. You can email me at [email protected]. I'll be recording another, short episode on this topic with Prof Adam Hart. So any questions you have. Chuck them over.

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