Ineffectiveness of Invasive Species Bounties

In India and other areas, bounties have been offered for killing invasive animals, leading to the killing of animals such as cobras and rabbits. The system incentivized individuals to breed the animals, making it easier and more profitable to produce the required carcasses or body parts. However, when authorities discovered the breeding, they discontinued the bounty program. In some cases, this led to the release of the newly-bred invasive animals into the wild, exacerbating the original problem. In other instances, individuals simply resorted to recycling the same animal parts, presenting them repeatedly to collect multiple bounties. This highlights the unintended consequences of bounty programs and the importance of considering alternative methods for addressing invasive species.