Botswana is regarded by many as the last paradise for elephants – a country proud of its protection of wild animals.

Yet in recent years, criticism has grown ever louder: noble safari lodges and private reserves that supposedly serve nature conservation often enough also open their gates to deep-pocketed hobby hunters.

A particularly striking example is a project founded by the Berlin entrepreneur couple Rainer and Petra Schorr. The Tagesspiegel reported on their private reserve in Botswana under the headline «The dream of one's own reserve». The couple runs a luxurious lodge there, presented as a sanctuary for wild animals – complete with its own airstrip, swimming pools and «sustainable tourism».

Between safari, sanctuary and shooting range

In theory it sounds good: tourism is supposed to bring money into remote regions, create jobs and finance the protection of wild animals. In practice, however, the boundaries often blur.

Animal welfare organisations such as PETA and several international media outlets recalled that Rainer Schorr made headlines in 2015 after an exceptionally large bull elephant was killed in Zimbabwe. According to PETA, Schorr is said to have been the trophy hunter; he himself denied the accusations to British media and stated that «the wrong person» had been identified.

The episode nevertheless shows how closely the themes of hunting, luxury and nature conservation are interwoven in Africa. For the lodge's manager, Carl Knight, also runs a company with «Take Aim Safaris» that organises big-game hunts in several African countries.

The double standards of «green» hunting tourism

Proponents argue that controlled hunting is part of sustainable management: only old, surplus wild animals would be taken, and the high licence fees would benefit the local population and the protection of habitats.

But on closer inspection this argument crumbles. Studies and NGO reports show that only a fraction of the hunting revenue actually reaches the communities. The bulk flows to private operators, licensees and brokerage agencies.

And anyone who has ever read the price lists of a trophy hunt knows: it is not about necessity, but about exclusivity. The hunting of an animal becomes a question of status – a prestige event for the wealthy, staged with colonial aesthetics and marketed as an «adventure with a clear conscience».

Water, wealth and contradictions

Botswana regularly struggles with droughts and water scarcity. Yet facilities with pools, air conditioning and exclusive villas are springing up in the savannahs – for guests who pay thousands of euros per night.

While locals often have barely any access to clean drinking water, these luxury projects devour enormous resources. The discrepancy is obvious: under the pretext of nature conservation, an infrastructure is created that primarily serves the comfort of Western visitors.

A system without accountability

The operators of such reserves are fond of talking about “overpopulation” and “ecological balance” when culls are approved. But who controls how these quotas come about?

Many African countries have weak control mechanisms, and the connection between hunting licences, politics and money is close. On top of that: as soon as Western investors appear with professional PR agencies, critical questions are quickly drowned out.

In this way, hunting grounds are transformed into luxurious “Conservation Estates” and trophy photos. The narrative: we are not hunters – we are saviours.

The elephant in the room remains

Real help needs no rifle. As long as luxury and hunting are pursued under the guise of nature conservation, the term “sustainable” remains a farce.

Nature conservation is not a lifestyle project for investors, nor a PR strategy for Western entrepreneurs. It is an obligation towards the animals, the ecosystems and the local people.

Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia have proven that sustainable ecotourism works – without shots, without trophies, without false heroic images.