The hunter and the hunted: Using web‐sourced imagery to monitor leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) trophy hunting

Abstract

Abstract Sustainable offtake of any threatened species and objective monitoring thereof relies on data‐driven and well‐managed harvest quotas and permit compliance. We used web‐sourced images of African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) trophy hunts to determine whether online photographs could assist in monitoring and documenting trophy hunting in Africa. Of 10,000 images examined, 808 (8%) showed leopard trophy hunts and could be contextualized by date and country. From a subset of photos (n = 530), across six countries between 2011 and 2020, we extracted information on the leopards killed and hunter demographics. We found no significant differences in leopard sex, age, or shot wound position between countries, and most trophy leopards were in good physical condition. Most hunters were White (96%) and estimated at over 40 years old (82%), with the proportion of women hunters in younger age classes significantly higher than in older classes. Rifles, bows, and hounds were used in all countries, except Tanzania and Zambia, where rifles were exclusively used. Online images could not be reasonably compared to the CITES trade database, but in South Africa, more than half (57%) of all nationally registered leopard trophy hunts in the last decade (2010–2020) have been posted online. Online images also reveal hunting violations, including non‐permitted hunting of female leopards and illegal hounding. Such monitoring methods may become increasingly useful as social media usage grows and provide valuable insight into this multi‐million dollar industry.

Keywords

• CITES
• compliance
• export permits
• Google images
• hunting
• iEcology