Oxford University has defended itself after it emerged that its research into African wildlife is funded by companies that support “sustainable trophy hunting”.
Cecil the lion, shot in Zimbabwe last month by an American dentist, was being studied by Oxford University’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU).
Professor David Macdonald, who founded WildCRU, said there was no conflict of interest between its work and sources of funding.
He said: “We simply do our work. There is no risk of any donor affecting our results – we report our results regardless of whether they state any particular point of view or not. We are not an advocacy organisation.”
The most controversial animal kills
Professor Macdonald said that it was up to “wider society” to decide on hunting laws, but that WildCRU was simply an “evidence-based organisation”.
WildCRU’s research is partially funded by Panthera – whose website describes the organisation as “leaders in wild cat conservation” – and the Dallas Safari Club, which support sustainable trophy hunting.
Luke Hunter, executive vice-president of Panthera, said that while “far too many lions are being shot for sport”, hunting can “benefit lions”.
Dr Hunter posted a blog earlier this year saying: “In Africa, sport hunting is the main revenue earner for huge tracts of wilderness.”
