Come on, Terry, you're whinging about something you haven't got completely right. I do hunt, and like Andrew, it's goes on the table. BUT, as for Africa, I've been there too. Those massive fees serve numerous purposes: economy into a 3.5 world state. Guide fees, lodging, travel and transport, etc.
As for shooting defeneseless animals, you could not be more wrong. The high end fees for shooting dangerous game (like lions, elephants, rhino, leopards, and even crocs and hippos) is in large due to conservation expenses and very limited harvesting control. Personally, I have zero interest in shooting one of these animals and always prefer the smaller, abundant plains game for eating while there. But the elephants do get eaten by locals. In fact, a single elephant provides good enough for up to 300 people for 30 days.
And people do not recognize the destruction an elephant does when their habitat overlaps with people. Think feral pigs tear up a place? See what an elephant does while he's tromping about. It's like someone drunk dolt took a Caterpillar D-11 through with his blade down and went on a bender. It literally destroy all vegetation and uproots the soil making it do near unusable for growing food for about a decade.
Africa hunting gets an awful rap, but it's completely unlike what you've read or seen. It's far from lining up outside the fence, pointing out your pick and squeezing away. Heaps of hunters go with unfilled tags if they simply trophy hunt. Others, like me, go for the adventure and the experience. The meat is a pure bonus. And it's a major amount of work while there. And humans are not the top of the food chain on Africa. Whether you've got a big gun or not.
Not for everyone certainly and clearly agree. But that Dentist was the victim of unscrupulous or a negligent Professional Hunter (a license guide required by African laws). And your buddy's mate may be ticking off a bucket list item. Be glad he didn't use that $50k and buy up a large lot of sandcasts or other valuable motorcycles to sit in a pretty window and not ride them. Collectors piss me off!