New Book Trilogy Exposes the UK’s Role in the Global Trophy Hunting Trade
On Thursday, July 17th, 2025, investigative conservationist Eduardo Goncalves released a bombshell trilogy of exposés that delves into Britain’s deep involvement in the global trophy hunting trade. The three-book series, entitled Mainlining on Heroin, Twenty Elephants in Seventy-Five Minutes, and Shoot One Lion – Get One FREE, has been hailed as the most comprehensive and devastating investigation into trophy hunting ever published.
Released on the tenth anniversary of the killing of Cecil the Lion, the trilogy sheds light on the disturbing practices of UK citizens who are involved in this billion-dollar industry of cruelty. 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 even compare the “rush” of the kill to a drug, with one British hunter stating that shooting a black rhino was like “mainlining on heroin”.
The trilogy also exposes the involvement of UK-based taxidermists, travel companies, and estate managers in the trophy hunting trade. It reveals how these companies profit from the industry by selling trophy hunting holidays like package tours, complete with price lists, cull discounts, and photo ops. Some packages even offer “two animals for the price of one”, and 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 tactics, with quotes like “take plenty of cash… you can’t stop”.
The trilogy features forewords from renowned conservationists Jane Goodall, Chris Packham, and Priscilla Presley. Goodall called Gonçalves “the undeniable expert” on trophy hunting, and Judi Dench stated, “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 entitled 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 continued, “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.”
In 2019, the UK government pledged 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 from the trilogy will go to the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting and the Wildlife & Conservation Foundation. A trailer for the accompanying documentary can be viewed at https://youtu.be/vkfEjVsOHmI.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.