Which of the following is a nonconsumptive use of wildlife?

• A. Hunting, fishing, trapping.
• B. Mining and logging.
• C. Domestication.
• D. Hiking, photographing, kayaking.

Answer: (D)

Nonconsumptive uses are activities that let people enjoy wildlife without removing individuals from the population or changing their numbers. Hiking, photographing, and kayaking let you observe animals and their habitats while leaving them unharmed and free; you experience wildlife without taking anything away or altering the population.

Hunting, fishing, and trapping involve taking animals from the wild for food, sport, or fur, which directly reduces wildlife numbers. Domestication means keeping and breeding wild animals for human use, which is another form of exploiting wildlife rather than observing it. Mining and logging affect habitat and resources rather than using wildlife themselves, so they don’t represent nonconsumptive wildlife use.