History Main / EvilPoacher

* ''VideoGame/MapleStory'' has monsters called Evil Poachers in one of the Grand Athenaeum scenarios, who hunt and capture fairies to sell them. Along with grave robbers who also plague the fey lands, these villains are one of the reasons Ephenia [[FantasticRacism hates humans]] and later [[StartOfDarkness decides to ally herself with the Black Mage.]]
* Grok in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic V'', a minor [[DemonLordsAndArchDevils demon lord]] and favored minion of Kha-Beleth the Demon Sovereign. When he isn't leading his master's armies into battle, his main duty is scouting Ashan in search or rare, exotic and/or magnificent beasts to capture alive, transport to Sheogh, and slaughter for his master's amusement.

* Gnawgahyde, one of the Dreadnoks from ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero''.

* Regis Stone for ''WesternAnimation/DexHamiltonAlienEntomologist''. He is an EgomaniacHunter who will wipe out the last of the species for the thrill being the one to do so, and doesn't care what laws he breaks in the process.
* Kai and Jinora run afoul of a group of Sky Bison poachers in Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. They capture baby bison for transport back to Ba Sing Se, where they're usually used for meat. Fortunately for the kids and the bison, the rest of the new Airbenders and the herd of adult bison come to their rescue.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheDeep'': Sebastian Conger, the multimillionaire collector of rare species, who will stoop to any level to acquires species for his collection.
* [[spoiler: Mitch and Tiffany]] from the second season of ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous'' who claim to be eco-tourists and are revealed to actually be trophy hunters who came to Isla Nublar to shoot the island’s dinosaurs.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb:'' [[TomTheDarkLord Mitch]], an alien criminal who abducts rare creatures from across the universe. His attempt to add Phineas and Ferb ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg plus Isabella]]) to his collection brings out Candace's {{Big Sister Instinct}}s.
* The ''WesternAnimation/RainbowRangers'' deal with a poacher in one episode, who's after a mama elephant for her tusks and the baby to sell to a circus.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' has Marlin, an EgomaniacHunter who pursues Leatherhead and the Turtles as his new big game prey in the sewers. Armed with all sorts of high tech weapons and traps, he's eventually dealt with by Leatherhead.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'': Android 17 is revealed to be working as a ranger on an island sanctuary for endangered species, so his primary enemies are some (distressingly well-armed) poachers. In the episode in which Goku visits to recruit him for the Tournament of Power, some ''alien'' poachers also show up, leading to 17 and Goku to team up to defeat them.

* Evil poachers killed Sable's family in ''ComicBook/JonSableFreelance'', starting off his RoaringRampageOfRevenge.

* ''ComicStrip/ModestyBlaise'':
** The dolphin hunter Gaspar in the arc "Dossier on Pluto".
** The poachers in "Million Dollar Game".
* A common foe in ''ComicStrip/JungleJim''.

* ComicBook/AnimalMan joined ComicBook/RasAlGhul in ComicBook/Injustice2 to save the endangered animals of the world because he [[GoryDiscretionShot brutally]] [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath murdered]] a group of Evil Poachers who killed the [[LastOfHisKind last rhino in Cameroon]].
* ''ComicBook/ThePunisher'' once runs into two of these guys while rescuing a Mafia don from a South American prison camp [[spoiler:so the don can call a meeting, ensuring Frank can kill a crapload of Mafia higher-ups]]. We know they're evil because they spend a page explaining, [[AsYouKnow to each other]], that they will torture whatever animal they caught in their nets before selling it to the highest bidder.
* ''[[ComicBook/RobinSeries Robin]]'': In addition to making snuff films Amsel Reiniger is also credited with tracking and personally causing the extinction of multiple endangered species for fun. He also filmed himself doing that and sold the videos to make a profit of it.
* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': Just in case it wasn't already clear that the woman is not nice just from her gleeful murder of hundreds and willingly allying herself with the Nazis [[ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} Priscilla Rich]]'s home is full of animal trophies from her safari exploits, most of which are of endangered animals.

* Clan Fletching in ''Fanfic/TheTaintedGrimoire'' has been poaching creatures for profit. One of them decides to cooperate with the authorities when told that his daughter, [[AntiVillain for whom he is doing this]], might not be able to look at him should she discover what he is doing. The other two, however, play this completely straight.

* ''Fanfic/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell'': The sequel ''Picking up the Pieces'' mentions that they exist and target the star beasts, whose numbers have greatly decreased with magic's failing (though its return has helped them a great deal). Preventing this is one thing that Tizoc and King Well Banded can agree on.

* ''Film/TarzanAndHisMate'' involves Arlington and Holt, who expect Tarzan to lead them to an ElephantGraveyard. It's debatable as to whether they count as this at the beginning, since ivory harvesting wasn't illegal at the time, but Arlington surely qualifies as he tries to murder Tarzan after Tarzan brings a stop to the expedition. The film certainly views ivory harvesting as Evil Poaching, as Tarzan and Jane return all the ivory to the graveyard at the end.

* ''Film/MightyJoeYoung'': The main bad guys in the 1998 remake. Distinctly averted with Gregg O'Hara, who captures animals humanely, only takes blood samples and then releases them, despite the desires of some of the hunters he works with.
* ''Film/{{Jumanji}}'': Van Pelt the hunter, although he preferred to [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunt the deadliest of game]].

* ''Film/Tremors5Bloodlines'': [[spoiler:Erick Van Wyk poses as a representative of South Africa's Wildlife Ministry to get Burt to capture an Assblaster for him.]] He and his associates are actually poachers who want to sell the creatures for a profit.
* The main antagonists of ''Film/{{Blastfighter}}'' are a bunch of poachers who kill deer for profit.
* In ''Film/MistressOfTheApes'', Thurston is secretly the head of the largest poaching ring in Africa. He hires two local poachers, Brady and Sikes, to kill the other members of the expedition so they do not discover his secret.

* ''Film/rogue2020 opens on a game farm that belonging to poachers who specialize in trafficking wild animals for the exotic pet trade and their body parts for traditional medicine, and running caged hunts for wealthy foreigners. [[EscapedAnimalRampage A lioness about to be slaughtered for body parts escapes and kills most of the poachers.]]

* ''Literature/Island2000'' by Creator/GordonKorman - the poacher villains in the second and third books are pretty evil. They are ready to kill a starving, shipwrecked 14 year old who is willing to keep quiet until they realize he's worth a ton of money.
* ''{{Literature/Malevil}}'' has Wahrwoorde. He forced this family to live in backwards squalor in a swamp, is cruel to his son and mother-in-law, raped his stepdaughters, and plots to murder the inhabitants of Malevil to steal the castle stronghold for himself.
* In the fifth Literature/TrixieBelden book, ''Mystery Off Glen Road'', Trixie and Honey think there's a crazy, unicycle-riding poacher poaching the deer in Honey's father's game preserve.
* Subverted in ''[[Literature/GarrettPI Old Tin Sorrows]]'', in which a butchered fawn is discovered on the Stantnor estate and thought to be the handiwork of a poacher. Even a war-hardened veteran is dismayed that anyone would hunt such a young animal. [[spoiler: It's actually a ruse staged by a serial murderer to lure some of the estate's staff onto a wild goose chase.]]
* Although not blatantly evil, Quint from the novel ''Literature/{{Jaws}}'' outraged his companions when he revealed he'd illegally killed a pregnant dolphin.

* ''Literature/MegLangslowMysteries:'' The victim of ''The Penguin Who Knew Too Much'' is a zoo owner suspected of illegally letting trophy hunters kill his (endangered) animals while their trapped in cages and don't have a chance to escape. Even the local hunters view this practice with utter contempt. [[spoiler:In a twist, it turns out the victim was innocent and was killed when he caught the real poacher in the act of stealing one of his animals.]]
* Elizabeth Honey's ''Literature/RemoteMan'' has Frank Laana, who poaches anything he can sell on the black market up to and including bear cubs, and has no qualms about killing animals he can't (the bears' mother).
* ''Literature/RickBrant'': Cunner, a henchman from ''Sea Gold,'' is locally despised for his illegal and unethical fishing methods.

* Countless episodes of ''Series/MacGyver1985''.

* Probably the most common sort of bad guy encountered in ''Series/{{Daktari}}''.
* ''Series/{{Justified}}'' had alligator poaching as one of the major occupations of the [[TheFamilyThatSlaysTogether Crowe family]], a BanditClan of smugglers and hijackers with branches in both backwoods Kentucky and the Florida Everglades. Eldest brother and family patriarch Daryl Crowe Jr. initially went to jail for alligator poaching and came out a much more dangerous man for it, while his nephew Kendal, the youngest Crowe, notes that gator poaching is the first criminal act that his [[EvilUncle uncles]] forced him into. Cousin [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain Dewey]], whom we meet before the others, still wears a necklace of alligator teeth that have been in the family for years.
* ''Series/{{Badger}}'': "It's a Jungle Out There" involves a venison poaching ring and a birds' egg raider. The cases coincide when the 'egger' is poisoned by the poached venison, exposing the poaching ring.
* ''Series/{{Harrow}}'': In "Aegri Somnia" ("Hallucinations"), the BodyOfTheWeek is a local ranger, murdered when he uncovered a poaching ring run by [[spoiler:his boss]] that is poaching rare aquatic species from the local waters and selling them to overseas collectors.

In RealLife, most poachers are [[TragicVillain poor people trying to get out of poverty]]; they are unable to afford a license. This is also a major reason why poor poachers will often target endangered animals - the rarity of their parts increases the value. However, they do often shoot at park rangers if they encounter them (they're the reason why most rangers in Africa are heavily armed) and are often hired by people in [[TheMafia organized crime]] (which means that media that ''does'' acknowledges the average poacher's real circumstances is likely to reserve this trope for the mobsters who hire them). There are some illegal trophy hunters as well, ranging from amateurs hunting without a license and off-season to wanting the glory of getting a rare animal.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' - Since the setting of the series involves people catching many creatures for various reasons (most often to use in official sports competitions or as pets and companions) as a way of life, it has to designate its Evil Poachers differently:

* ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheKingdomOfClouds'' has a band of poachers arrested by the Sky People while they're slaughtering a family of elephants in Africa. THese poachers managed to escape custody, steal one of the Sky People's transports, and later hijacks a powerful [[WeaponOfMassDestruction WMD]] from Doraemon intending to destroy the Kingdom of Clouds out of spite.

* ''The Island Trilogy'' by Creator/GordonKorman - the poacher villains in the second and third books are pretty evil. They are ready to kill a starving, shipwrecked 14 year old who is willing to keep quiet until they realize he's worth a ton of money.

* In ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' [[spoiler: Ken Wheatley is revealed to be a poacher-for-hire working for the BigBad Eli Mills who wants to steal the dinosaurs and sell them on the black market, when he betrays the main characters and leaves them for dead on the island, revealing.]]

* In ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' [[spoiler: Ken Wheatley is a mix between this and EgomaiacHunter when he betrays the main characters and leaves them for dead on the island, revealing who is poacher hired by the film’s BigBad Eli Mills, who wants to steal the dinosaurs and sell them on the black market.]]

* In ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' [[spoiler: Ken Wheatley is revealed to be mix between this and EgomaiacHunter working for the film’s BigBad who wants to steal the dinosaurs and sell them on the black market when he betrays the main characters and leaves them for dead on the island.]]

* In ''Film/JurassicWorldFallenKingdom'' [[spoiler: Ken Wheatley is revealed to be a poacher-fire-hire working for Eli mills who wants to steal the dinosaurs and sell them on the black market when he betrays the main characters and leaves them for dead on the island.]]

In RealLife, most poachers are poor people trying to get out of poverty; they are unable to afford a license. This is also a major reason why poor poachers will often target endangered animals - the rarity of their parts increases the value. However, they do often shoot at park rangers if they encounter them (they're the reason why most rangers in Africa are heavily armed) and are often hired by people in [[TheMafia organized crime]] (which means that media that ''does'' acknowledges the average poacher's real circumstances is likely to reserve this trope for the mobsters who hire them). There are some illegal trophy hunters as well, ranging from amateurs hunting without a license and off-season to wanting the glory of getting a rare animal.

* Mitch and Tiffany from the second season of ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous'' who claim to be eco-tourists and are revealed to actually be trophy hunters who came to Isla Nublar to shoot the island’s dinosaurs.

* Mitch and Tiffany from the second season of ''WesternAnimation/JurassicWorldCampCretaceous'' who claim to be eco-tourists and are revealed to actually be trophy hunters who came to Isla Nublar to shoot the islands‘s dinosaurs.

* The human villain of ''Film/{{Anaconda}}'' is [[spoiler: Paul Serone]] who has complete disregard for both human and animal life.

* In ''Film/{{Anaconda}}'', Paul Sarone is a Paraguayan former priest who decided to become a snake poacher in the Amazon instead, capturing them for rich clients. [[spoiler:It's revealed that he's been manipulating the whole crew from the beginning and was using them to capture the Anaconda.]]

The inversion, RoguishPoacher, is most common [[SocietyMarchesOn in older works]], particularly {{fairy tale}}s and FolkMusic. The Roguish Poacher always hunts for food (usually [[JustifiedCriminal for his starving family]]) and lives in a [[Literature/TheTaleOfPeterRabbit Peter Rabbit-vs-Farmer MacGregor]] kind of relationship with the [[AristocratsAreEvil Evil Fatcat Landowner]]. If the two ''do'' come into conflict, expect EvilVersusEvil to come into play. Compare KarmicThief.

* Inverted in the Creator/RoaldDahl book ''Literature/DannyTheChampionOfTheWorld'' where the poacher, Danny's father, is a good guy and a GuileHero, showing a germ of the character of ''Literature/FantasticMrFox''. The bad guy is the man who owns the land they live on, who is a pompous, heartless, cruel man. It probably helps that the animals being poached are [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute pheasants]] being readied for an upcoming hunt, and so are due to die whatever happens. Moreover, England has a bit of a cultural trope about the hearty countryman who is not above a little poaching now and then. It also helps that the father came up with increasingly [[ZanyScheme clever ways of going about it]] and the landlord kept trying to find more and more trivial ways to force the family to sell their gas station that you have to root for them, regardless of your stance on hunting, trespassing, and poaching.
* Carter the Poacher in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels is another example of the anti-trope.

* The Stuart Gibbs ‘’Funjungle’’ novels feature several such characters, although it’s also subverted on one occasion when a character who appears to be one of these was merely hired by the park owner to chase away a wild mountain lion without harming it, and said hunter ends up saving the narrators life.

In RealLife, most poachers are poor people trying to get out of poverty; they are unable to afford a license. This is also a major reason why poor poachers will often target endangered animals - the rarity of their parts increases the value. However, they do often shoot at park rangers if they encounter them (they're the reason why most rangers in Africa are heavily armed) and are often hired by people in [[TheMafia organized crime]] (which means that media that acknowledges the average poacher's desperation is likely to reserve this trope for the mobsters who hire them). There are some illegal trophy hunters as well, ranging from amateurs hunting without a license and off-season to wanting the glory of getting a rare animal.

In RealLife, most poachers are poor people trying to get out of poverty; they are unable to afford a license. This is also a major reason why poor poachers will often target endangered animals - the rarity of their parts increases the value. However, they do often shoot at park rangers if they encounter them (they're the reason why most rangers in Africa are heavily armed) and are often hired by people in [[TheMafia organized crime]]. There are some illegal trophy hunters as well, ranging from amateurs hunting without a license and off-season to wanting the glory of getting a rare animal.