From Anti-Hunting To Pro-Hunting with Kristie Gill

She came to South Africa convinced trophy hunting and poaching were basically the same thing. Four years later, Kristie is finishing a PhD in the Waterberg and making the case for sustainable use, landscape connectivity, and why hunting can be a force for conservation.
What changed her mind was not a debate online, but a month in the field with a seasoned PH who handed her a book, then showed her private game lands from Bella Bella to Kruger, the Limpopo, and the Thuli Block. Kristie shares the moment she watched a first Eland hunt, broke down in tears, and slowly realized she had been looking at wildlife through an individual-animal lens instead of a population-and-ecosystem perspective.

You'll discover how social media visuals shape public opinion about hunting, why trophy photos can collapse the difference between legal use and poaching in people’s minds, and how animal welfare, meat production, and conservation overlap in ways many critics never consider. Robbie and Kristie also unpack the hidden work happening on hunting farms - habitat care, supplemental feeding, parasite control, and management that keeps wildlife populations healthy rather than simply present.

Kristie also explains her current research in the Waterberg, where she studies landscape connectivity, biodiversity corridors, and how private lands function as habitat islands for species from warthog and jackal to larger game. Just as importantly, she looks at how these properties support local communities with natural resources and meat.
If you care about wildlife conservation, sustainable use, hunting ethics, or how real-world experience can overturn a deeply held belief, this conversation will stay with you. Kristie’s story is a rare one: honest, uncomfortable, and deeply illuminating.

Learn more about Origins Foundation:
theoriginsfoundation.org

Support conservation storytelling:
give.theoriginsfoundation.org/give/322117

youtube.com/@TheOriginsFoundation

Special thanks to:
• Kristie Gill

[00:00] South Africa’s Hidden Wildlife Conservation Gem
[02:57] How Christie First Discovered South Africa
[04:34] From Anti-Poaching to Conservation
[06:15] Why She Once Opposed Trophy Hunting
[07:42] Hunting vs Poaching: The Critical Difference
[10:11] How Social Media Changed the Hunting Debate
[13:16] The Animal Welfare Case for Hunting
[14:22] A Life-Changing First Hunting Experience
[17:41] The 13-Year-Old’s First Eland Hunt
[20:32] From Animal Welfare to Ecosystem Conservation
[22:24] Is Eating Meat Hypocritical?
[24:25] Wildlife, Cattle and Sustainable Meat
[26:24] How Her Views on Hunting Changed
[29:06] “I Came Back to Save Rhinos”
[29:54] The Bigger Threat: Land Mismanagement
[35:31] Why She Returned to South Africa for a PhD
[36:55] How Hunting Farms Support Biodiversity
[38:09] Wildlife Conservation and Local Communities
[40:29] Can Animal Welfare and Hunting Coexist?
[41:38] Why Conservation Isn’t Black and White
[42:10] The Voice Conservation Needs

About:
Origins Foundation is a global storytelling initiative dedicated to promoting the truth about hunting and conservation. Founded by Dr. Robbie Kröger, Origins Foundation seeks to bridge the divide between hunters and non-hunters by sharing authentic stories that showcase the role of ethical hunting in wildlife management, habitat preservation, and community empowerment. By fostering meaningful conversations and dispelling misconceptions, Origins Foundation ensures that hunting remains a respected and vital conservation tool.

Connect:
Instagram: instagram.com/theoriginsfoundation
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/theoriginsfoundation
Website: theoriginsfoundation.org
Newsletter: theoriginsfoundation.org/news