Trophy hunting should not be banned in Sub-Saharan Africa as this will negatively impact species conservation, researchers have argued.

The study, which mentions the international outrage sparked over the killing of Cecil the Lion in 2015, is co-authored by a Cambridge academic and argues that “banning trophy hunting might not be the best solution because biodiversity loss could even be worse in its absence”.

This is because, as conservation is expensive and funds are limited, allowing hunting in a regulated form could generate needed money to protect wildlife more so than completely banning the practice.

Corey Bradshaw, senior author of the research at The International Business Times, said that “understandably, many people oppose trophy hunting” and “believe it is contributing to the ongoing loss of species”.

“However, we contend that banning the $217m per year industry in Africa could end up being worse for species conservation.”

“There are many concerns about trophy hunting beyond the ethical that currently limit its effectiveness as a conservation tool,” said Cambridge researcher Nigel Leader-Williams, adding that “one of the biggest problems” is that revenue generated by hunting “often goes to the private sector” instead of benefiting “protected management”.

“However, if this money was better managed, it would provide much needed funds for conservation.”

In terms of the funds hunting can raise, The Guardian reported in July 2015 that South African company Hunting Legends offered excursions at $35,000 to kill a male lion, $13,000 for a buffalo, $60,000 for a large elephant, and in early 2015 a Texan hunter paid $350,000 to legally kill a black rhino.