The reversal of Botswana’s 2014 suspension of elephant hunting, herein, trophy hunting ban, initially imposed to address concerns over wildlife conservation, sparked significant social media backlash. The ban led to unintended consequences: elephant population explosion, increased human–wildlife conflicts, and landscape degradation. On social media, critics of hunting are perceived to be employing coercive tactics and disseminating misinformation against individuals or countries, such as Botswana, that support trophy hunting and sustainable use. This study examines the implications of this backlash, analysing social media posts to understand public sentiment and its impact on Botswana’s tourism and conservation efforts. The backlash has led to calls for tourism boycotts, negatively affecting Botswana’s tourism destination image. This issue underscores the necessity for a comprehensive, equitable, and sustained approach to conservation initiatives, in alignment with global conservation policy imperatives. The global policy agenda should be informed and driven by robust, empirical data and scientific evidence. We recommend the integration of environmental, social, and economic sustainability to harmonize local and global conservation and sustainability goals.