Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping any animal, or pursuing or tracking it with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to remove predators which are dangerous to humans or domestic animals, or for trade. In the 2010s, lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds.

Furthermore, evidence exists that hunting may have been one of the multiple environmental factors leading to extinctions of the holocene megafauna and their replacement by smaller herbivores. North American megafauna extinction was coincidental with the Younger Dryas impact event, possibly making hunting a less critical factor in prehistoric species loss than had been previously thought. However, in other locations such as Australia, humans are thought to have played a very significant role in the extinction of the Australian megafauna that was widespread prior to human occupation.

1. are megafauna extinct?
2. are poaching and lawful hunting the same?
3. what is poaching?
4. what are prey?
5. are humans usually hunted?
6. what are usually hunted?
7. does hunting involve trapping animals?
8. how many purposes for hunting are listed
9. did humans impact extinction in Australia?
10. what is one purpose of hunting
11. what also happened at time of North American extinction?
12. what were megafauna replaced by?

Numbered answers:
1. yes
2. no
3. the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species
4. The species that are hunted
5. no
6. mammals and birds.
7. yes
8. Three
9. yes
10. trapping any animal
11. the Younger Dryas impact event,
12. smaller herbivores.