Capricorn trophies, foreign hunting and Switzerland’s role in the global trophy market.
Editors Wild beim Wild — 8 April 2026
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In trophy hunting, the focus is not on food production, but on killing an animal for the sake of its physical characteristics: horns, antlers, fur, skull.
In Switzerland, ibex, deer and other animal species are shot as trophies; internationally, an entire industry is booming with hunting trips all over the world. Trophy hunting is the most concentrated form of expression of killing as a leisure activity.
What is a trophy?
In hunting parlance, “trophy” refers to a part of the body of the hunted animal that is kept as a memento: antlers, horns, skull, fur, tusks. The more imposing the trophy, the higher the prestige of the shot. This is the logic of trophy hunting worldwide: the goal is not the average animal, but the largest, the strongest, the most conspicuous.
The trophy hunting dossier analyses what this practice says about the motives of hobby hunting and what ecological consequences it has.
Trophy hunting in Switzerland: ibex and deer
In Switzerland, trophy hunting is not banned, but institutionalized. Capricorns are awarded specifically to hobby hunters who are willing to pay considerable sums within the framework of special permits. The antlers of the killed animal are the target, not the flesh. The situation is similar for red deer: strong deer with imposing antlers are sought-after objects, while the shooting plans are officially justified ecologically.
The ibex in Switzerland is an example of this contradiction: the species was extinct in the 19th century, reintroduced at great expense and is now once again released as trophy game.
International trophy hunting: a global industry
International trophy hunting is a market worth millions. Wealthy hobby hunters from Europe and North America pay thousands to hundreds of thousands of francs for hunting trips to Africa, Asia and the Arctic. The program includes lions, elephants, rhinos, polar bears, leopards, many of them endangered or threatened with extinction.
The Hobby Hunting Tourism dossier sheds light on this industry: hunting fairs, tour operators, outfitters, a global network of players specializing in the killing of wild animals as a service.
The argument of development aid
A recurring argument of the trophy hunting lobby is that the revenues benefit local communities in poorer countries. The scientific review of this argument shows that the share of trophy hunting revenue that actually benefits local communities is small. Large parts remain with international outfitters and government authorities. Photosafari tourism is usually much more advantageous for wildlife conservation.
Pictures of Hunters: The Aesthetics of Killing
Photographs of the hobby hunter with the hunted animal, so-called “hunter pictures”, are an integral part of trophy hunting culture. They are shared on social media, published in hunting magazines and exhibited at hunting fairs. When these images reach a wider public, they regularly trigger outrage, a sign that social majorities do not share the value logic of trophy hunting.
The dossier “Pictures of Hunters” analyzes what these images communicate and what double standards they make visible.
CITES and the International Trophy Trade
The international transport of hunting trophies is regulated by the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Nevertheless, trophies of endangered species are still legally transported because of CITES exemptions for hunting trophies and because control mechanisms are incomplete. As a CITES signatory state, Switzerland is also home to hobby hunters who regularly go trophy hunting abroad.
The dossier on hobby hunting tourism documents how this legal situation is exploited in practice.
Trophy hunting as social advancement
Trophy hunting is closely linked to status thinking. The most expensive hunting trip, the largest trophy, the most exclusive kill: this logic follows the same status dynamics as luxury goods. The dossier Hobby Hunting as an Event analyzes how hobby hunting is staged as a status symbol and social event.
Ecological selectivity and its consequences
The targeted removal of the strongest and most conspicuous individuals, i.e. those with the largest antlers or the longest horns, has ecological consequences: it removes from the population precisely those animals that are genetically and socially particularly significant. In the long term, this can lead to selection for smaller, less conspicuous individuals, which means genetic impoverishment.
Conclusion
Trophy hunting is the purest form of hobby hunting as a leisure activity: without interest in food, without ecological necessity, primarily motivated by status, ego and a culture of killing as a proof of achievement. In Switzerland, it is legally possible and socially accepted in parts of the hunting milieu, but it is increasingly rejected in the wider society. This social discrepancy makes trophy hunting a symbol of an outdated logic.
Sources
- CITES (Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Trophy exemptions
- JSG (SR 922.0): Capricorn special permits
- IUCN: Studies on trophy hunting and species conservation