Nordisk Safari Klub
The world’s wild mammal biomass is significantly smaller today than it once was. Around 150 years ago, wild mammals made up roughly half of the total biomass of all land mammals. Today, that share has dropped to about five percent.
Biomass refers to the combined weight of all mammals – including wildlife, humans, and livestock. This shift is largely driven by human expansion and the growing demand for food production. Over time, vast natural areas have been converted into farmland, grazing land, and urban developments, pushing wild species into smaller and more fragmented habitats.
At the same time, livestock populations have surged to meet the demand for meat and other animal products. Today, livestock account for the largest share of mammal biomass, while humans also make up a significant portion.
This development has consequences for ecosystems. As wild mammals disappear, natural processes such as predation, grazing balance, and seed dispersal are weakened. This can make ecosystems more vulnerable and increasingly dependent on human management.
Overall, research indicates that the balance of nature has shifted dramatically – from a world dominated by wild animals to one where humans and livestock prevail.
This trend highlights how nature is becoming increasingly dependent on active human decisions and actions. In some regions, hunting plays an important role as a tool for wildlife management. When hunters travel abroad, they contribute to ensuring that wildlife and natural habitats retain economic and practical value.
Today, more than ever, it is important that hunters continue to engage with and use nature. Active presence and economic development in rural areas create incentives to preserve habitats, protect biodiversity, and ensure that wild animals still have space in the landscape.
Without the interest, management, and influence of hunting, even more areas risk being converted into production land or urban development.
At a time when wild mammals represent only a fraction of total biomass, the efforts of hunters can help maintain and restore the natural environments that are increasingly under pressure.
Debatten om jagt som redskab i naturbevarelse rummer et indbygget paradoks. For mange virker det selvmodsigende, at det at nedlægge vilde dyr kan bidrage til at bevare dem og deres
The debate about hunting as a tool in conservation contains an inherent paradox. For many, it seems contradictory that the act of harvesting wild animals can contribute to preserving them
Klodens masse af vilde pattedyr fylder i dag langt mindre end tidligere. For omkring 150 år siden udgjorde vilde pattedyr cirka halvdelen af den samlede biomasse af alle pattedyr på
The world’s wild mammal biomass is significantly smaller today than it once was. Around 150 years ago, wild mammals made up roughly half of the total biomass of all land
I det centrale Mozambique ligger jagtkoncessionen Coutada 11 – et af Afrikas mest bemærkelsesværdige naturområder, som i dag står som et eksempel på, hvordan natur kan genopbygges efter massiv tilbagegang.
In central Mozambique lies the hunting concession Coutada 11 – one of Africa’s most remarkable natural areas, now standing as an example of how ecosystems can be rebuilt after severe
