In Africa, the practice of searching for and subduing animals for food is an ancient one. The process of hunting involves the tracking and pursuing of mammals or birds as sustenance to feed a community. There is evidence that hominids have hunted for up to 2 million years. The African hunter is a pivotal figure in African culture. The hunter is the inventor, the explorer, the adventurer, as well as the food collector. He is the source of language, cultural change, narratives for folktales, and makers of proverbs, adages, and aphorisms. This entry looks at the practice and its links to religion.