“It is so much better to enjoy a photograph of an animal you have seen in the wild, than look at a head on the wall."

Those are the words of one London conservationist as the UK government moves to ban trophy hunting imports.

Toby Jermyn, who grew up in St John's Wood and Hammersmith, set up a sustainable safari photography company in Africa, and welcomed a debate in Parliament on November 25 on the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. 

The 48-year-old co-owns Pangolin Photo Safaris, and puts money from the business into saving endangered and highly-poached animals. 

Ham & High: Toby JermynToby Jermyn (Image: Pangolin Photo Safari)

The bill, to make provision prohibiting the import of hunting trophies into Great Britain, has passed a first and second reading in the House of Commons and is at committee stage. 

He said: “We have always said it is better and more sustainable to shoot to thrill, not shoot to kill. That is one of the reasons we set up our business. 

“It is so much better to enjoy a photograph of an animal you have seen in the wild, than look at a head on the wall. 

“We have already witnessed an upswing in people putting down their guns and picking up a camera, partly over the widespread revulsion that hunters get when they post their images to social media. 

“If this ban goes ahead it will be far more difficult to import a taxidermist trophy, meaning even more people will follow suit.” 

Pangolin Photo Safaris launched in 2008, and runs tours in Africa.

As a boy, Toby often visited London Zoo, where he first experienced African animals.

"Incidents such as Cecil the Lion have have really made people stop to think about what they are doing," he said.

In 2015 13-year-old male African lion, which lived primarily in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe was lured out of a protected area and wounded with an arrow by an American trophy hunter. It was tracked and killed 10 hours later.

"People are at first afraid of the reaction on social media, and then they start to think about what they are doing," said Toby. 

Ham & High: Toby Jermyn says it's better to shoot with a camera than with a gun or an arrowToby Jermyn says it's better to shoot with a camera than with a gun or an arrow (Image: Pangolin Photo Safari)

“If people choose to take a photograph instead, the space on their wall will still be filled with a reminder of their adventure.

"But they will have the added bonus of knowing that others are still enjoying the same experience.”