“Addicted to Killing”: British Hunters at the Heart of Global Bloodsport, New Books Reveal

A bombshell trilogy of exposés is lifting the lid on Britain's deep and disturbing role in the global trophy hunting trade, with dozens of UK citizens named and shamed for their part in a billion-dollar industry of cruelty.

The three-book series, written by investigative conservationist Eduardo Goncalves, includes Mainlining on Heroin, Twenty Elephants in Seventy-Five Minutes, and Shoot One Lion – Get One FREE. Released to mark the tenth anniversary of the killing of Cecil the Lion, the trilogy is being hailed as the most comprehensive and devastating investigation into trophy hunting ever published.

For the first time, the voices of trophy hunters are heard in their own words, describing their obsession with killing, their gory hunting methods, and their grisly collections of animal remains. Some liken the “rush” of the kill to a drug. One British hunter says shooting a black rhino was like “mainlining on heroin”.

The trilogy also exposes UK-based taxidermists, travel companies, and estate managers profiting from the trade, and reveals how trophy hunting holidays are sold like package tours, complete with price lists, cull discounts, and photo ops. Some packages offer “two animals for the price of one”. Others allow children to participate.

In Twenty Elephants in Seventy-Five Minutes, hunters boast about building trophy rooms with hundreds of mounted animals, killing gorillas, and shooting 5,000 elephants. Shoot One Lion – Get One FREE delves into the safari industry’s marketing playbook — with quotes like “take plenty of cash… you can’t stop”.

All three books include forewords from Jane Goodall, Chris Packham, and Priscilla Presley. Goodall called Gonçalves “the undeniable expert” on trophy hunting. Judi Dench said: “Cecil’s death didn’t shut it down. This might.” Presley added: “Policymakers now have no excuse not to act.”

Goncalves, who also produced a new documentary Britain’s Trophy Hunters, said:

“Since Cecil was killed 10 years ago, trophy hunters have shot another 10,000 lions. Some animals are wounded and suffer horrific deaths. The cruelty we uncovered was shocking – and it’s happening with the full knowledge of governments, including our own.”

He added:

“Trophy hunting is not about conservation – it’s about thrill-killing. These books expose a cruel, colonial pastime dressed up as sport. And they reveal just how embedded Britain is in this dirty trade.”

The UK government pledged in 2019 to ban the import of hunting trophies. But delays have left the commitment unfulfilled.

In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Shane Rodrigues, son of the Zimbabwean conservationist who named Cecil’s killer, wrote:

“British trophy hunters have shot 100 lions since Cecil. They’re also killing cheetahs, leopards and elephants. Labour promised to act. Now is the time to deliver.”

 All proceeds go to the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting and the Wildlife & Conservation Foundation.

WATCH the documentary trailer: https://youtu.be/vkfEjVsOHmI