Mao, now 31, considers trophy hunting “senseless” but feels that hunting boars — which are wildly overpopulated in Texas — can be justified. China's rich are looking for new pastimes, including hunting. The country has been a major exporter of exotic animals and plants since the 19th century, but it is now facing an acute shortage in its animal resources. “Besides drinking Bordeaux wine and playing golf, hunting has been taken up by some high-net-worth individuals as a way to show off their wealth and power,” said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, of Hamburg-based research centre China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. Gun ownership is strictly controlled in China, and hunting is limited to those with permission.
China's rich are looking for new pastimes, including hunting. The country has been a major exporter of exotic animals and plants since the 19th century, but it is now facing an acute shortage in its animal resources. “Besides drinking Bordeaux wine and playing golf, hunting has been taken up by some high-net-worth individuals as a way to show off their wealth and power,” said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, of Hamburg-based research centre China Outbound Tourism Research Institute. Gun ownership is strictly controlled in China, and hunting is limited to those with permission.