How Trophy Hunting Saved the Kri Kri Ibex from Extinction: An Unconventional Story

The kri kri ibex was once on the brink of extinction, with only around 100 left in the wild. But luckily, trophy hunting managed to save the species. Trophy hunting provided a financial incentive for locals to conserve the ibex and their habitat, as well as to manage the population in diferent locations. In addition, trophy hunting also increased the ibex's genetic diversity, as hunters were encouraged to choose the oldest animals with the biggest trophies. This allowed the species to have a better chance of surviving in the wild. Furthermore, trophy hunting also provided the kri kri ibex with valuable resources such as food and water, which kept the species alive and thriving in the long-term on th eisland.

 Finally, ibex blood was also used to create a vaccine that helped protect other species of ibex from disease and other threats. Thanks to trophy hunting, the kri kri ibex was able to make a remarkable comeback, and can now be found in much greater numbers in the wild on the Sapientza island. What Is Sustainable Use of Natural Resources?  

Taking into consideration the environment, sustainable usage of the natural sources is a method by which human beings can take advantage of the resources accessible to them without damaging the planet. The term 'natural resources' pertains to the living and non-living components of the Earth's ecosystem such as plant life, fish, animals, water, dirt, and minerals. It is important to look into these resources with regards to depletion risk: Can they be regenerated, and if so, how quickly? Certain resources, such as trees and animals, can be renewed as they have the ability to regrow relatively fast. Others, such as copper and oil, take more time to form and are considered non-renewable. When it comes to sustainability, small-scale community or private entities have been the most successful. Sustainable wildlife management (SWM) is a responsible way of caring for wildlife species, ensuring their population and habitat are sustained in the long run, while still considering the needs of human populations. In many parts of the world, harvesting of wild meat or meat hunt is no longer a sustainable practice due to an increase in hunting and a decrease in wildlife because of various direct or indirect factors. Unsustainable meat hunting leads to the endangerment of vulnerable species, which can have an adverse effect on the environment. In contrast, regulated and sustainable trophy hunting tourism can help to manage populations and reduce competitive behaviour between species when their numbers become too high. The maximum amount of animals that a habitat can support is known as its carrying capacity. All animals produce more offspring than the carrying capacity, resulting in an excess. It is the responsibility of the wildlife manager to make sure the number of animals in a habitat does not exceed the carrying capacity in order to protect the animals and their habitat. This piece aims to demonstrate the significance of regulated hunting expeditions in Greece for the preservation of the Kri Kri ibex, an endangered species. To better comprehend the principles of managing this species’ population, let's examine what Kri Kri ibex are. They are mostly part of the large family of wild goats.

Goats are often praised for their remarkable ability to live and thrive in a variety of difficult conditions. From mountain terrain to extreme weather and low-cost feed, these animals have demonstrated a remarkable adaptability. This, along with their versatile nature and high yield for their size, has resulted in goats being one of the earliest species to be domesticated. "Over the past 50 years, the number of goats in the world has grown by around 240%, whereas other types of livestock have either stayed the same or decreased. At present, approximately 1 billion goats exist globally, with more than 90% located in Asia and Africa and only 1.8% in Europe. Goats are very intelligent, agile and independent animals that possess a high level of immunity to sickness, which is superior to that of other ruminants. Mankind has taken advantage of goats' ability to feast on food which may be rejected by other livestock and as a result, goats have been driven to marginal lands and forests. As a result of this, experts have labeled goats as destructive to vegetation and recommended they be banned." In terms of evolutionary history, goats can be divided into three main categories based on geographic region: European, Asian, and African. In particular, the populations of goats in Africa and Asia have seen significant growth over the centuries, especially in recent years, far outpacing the rate of human population growth.

Among the most renowned and iconic members of ibex in Europe is the Cretan ibex. Hunting and trading are not allowed, yet the extraction of a specific amount of specimens is necessary for keeping a strong population, especially at Sapienza Island. "Capra aegagrus cretica : Endemic subspecies. Strictly protected, its hunting is prohibited. Bern Convention - Annex II Directive 92/43 EEC, Annexes II and IV (natural populations only) IUCN 2007. Capra aegagrus : Troto (VU)." In order to adequately exploit Kri Kri ibex, there needs to be a reproductive surplus, which is determined by the number of births, deaths and physical growth. To calculate a sustainable yield, direct experimentation, looking at existing natural systems, or deducing from biological knowledge can be used. Results from an in-depth analysis of Theodorou Island, which is analogous to Sapienza Island and is located close to Crete, demonstrated that not more than 60 creatures can inhabit a single square kilometer. Therefore, it can be deduced that the most number of animals that Sapienza Island can contain is 540. Research from a wildlife survey revealed that there are more than 200 ibex and and the same number mouflons on Sapienza Island, which is very close to the level of overcrowding and subsequent devastation of vegetation and, consequently, the extinction of all creatures from the island. We can make a conjecture of when this could take place by studying different studies from comparable animal populations around the world. "To make an informed estimatation of the reproductive surplus of the Kri Kri ibex on Sapienza Island, we will make use of the data from an assessment of the wild bezoar ibex population. The research was conducted by Karadeniz Technical University, a public higher education institution located in Trabzon near the Black Sea region of Turkey, which was founded in 1955 and is the fourth-oldest university in the country. According to the findings from the surveyed population, the sex ratio was as follows: for males aged 10+ years, 15%; for those aged 5-9 years, 35%; and for those aged 2-4 years, 50%." Analyses have revealed that the goats, on an annual basis, produce 2 kids at a rate of 66%, 1 kid at a rate of 30%, and 3 kids at a rate of 4%. The average number of kids per female is 0.85. In the herd, 25% were males, 35% were females, and 40% were kids. (This data was published in the Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances 8 (11): 2318-2324, 2009 ISSN: 1680-5593 Medwell Journals, 2009 under the title "The Distribution of Wild Goat Capra aegagrus Erxleben 1877 and Population Characteristics in Isparta, Turkey" by Ebubekir Gundogdu and Idris Ogurlu of the Faculty of Forestry, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.) A recent report from the Greek Fauna Documentation Center revealed that the kri kri ibex population on the island of Sapienza stands at 200 animals. Every year, the number of ibex is expected to rise by 60 due to female births. Even if half of the newborns die due to natural causes, the overall population will still surpass its habitat's capacity in five years. The typical lifespan of these animals in the wild is roughly 12 years. Thus, to protect the island from overpopulation and the devastation of its vegetation, it is necessary to establish a system of controlled hunting tourism. Through the practice of alternative hunting tourism, the oldest and most senior males can be targeted, allowing for significant financial gain for both the state and local businesses. Moreover, not only does this help with overpopulation, it also addresses another significant issue. The gender and age ratio of the population is just as important as the number of animals that can live in a given habitat. According to a study conducted by a Turkish University, the concentration of older, barren males during breeding season gives them an advantage over younger, more fertile animals for the control of harems and the production of offspring. This, in turn, causes a decline in the birth rate and a decrease in the population. "Results from a study on a habitat-limited population of two separate bighorn herds in Canada revealed that removing the oldest and most dominant males by hunting caused the birth rate to soar. This shows that even though roughly 30 animals are hunted annually, Sapienza Island's population remains steady and healthy due to trophy tourism. Concerning Theodorou island where there was no hunting, the research showed that the plant food base had declined by 30% in 10 years. Despite the clear advantages of regulated hunting tourism, public opinion is less than desirable toward this human activity. Hunting and hunters in particular are usually the topic of harsh criticism and unfounded claims. Conservation of renewable natural resources ought not to be used for personal gain or political gain. Instead, it is a process based on scientific methods designed to ensure long-term policy that will benefit future generations." The opposition to trophy hunting has been exploited by certain pseudo-ecological organizations and political entities, taking advantage of the general public's lack of knowledge to manipulate their emotions and turn them against hunters. An outstanding illustration of this is the utilization of public sentiment to oppose trophy photos in social media and public venues and this is used by government bureaucrats as a justification to impede any endeavor to disseminate knowledge about the advantages of hunting. It is regrettable that government officials in positions of authority assigned to preserve wildlife are trying to restrain freedom of speech and prevent facts about the scientifically verifiable benefits of hunting! Due to the careless behaviour of the officials, filming and distributing footage of the event on Sapienza Island is strictly forbidden by law. "A grave threat to the kri kri ibex are uninformed government representatives who make decisions which run contrary to established scientific procedures and answers. Wildlife conservation is a globally accepted aim with established principles that are not dependent on the views of bureaucrats. The initial UN summit on ecological matters, the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, established essential tenets in this regard." "Stockholm Declaration • Principle 2: “The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate. The Stockholm Declaration not only addressed resource depletion, but also benefit sharing: the objective to ensure that natural resource use not only benefits the few, but the many, both within and across countries. It also speaks to the principle of inter-generational equity: ensuring that today’s resource use does not compromise the availability of natural resources for future generations. In fact, natural resource use relates to all three dimensions of sustainability: social justice, environmental health, and economic development. The sustainable use of natural resources strives for balance between these dimensions: maintaining the long-term use of resources while maximizing social benefits and minimizing environmental impacts. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/sustainable-use-natural-resources-governance-challenge" The number of species facing global extinction due to human activities is presently higher than ever before. This is mainly because of a lack of awareness and unwillingness to recognize the issues wildlife and their habitats are facing. Trophy hunting is not the problem, but actually the solution. Sustainable use of natural resources is the way forward, and the choice is yours.