The killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe touched off a movement to end trophy hunting. (photo: Brent Stapelkamp/National Geographic)
A Good
Week for Lions, Despite Demand From US Trophy Hunters
By Rachael Bale, National
Geographic
22 November 15
France
just banned the import of sport-hunted lion trophies. In the U.S., where the
majority of trophy hunters come from, some lawmakers are trying to do the same.
We
all came to know Cecil, the majestic lion
with the black mane shot by a Minnesota dentist. “Justice for Cecil” became a
rallying cry, and soon people who’d never been involved in the conservation
movement before had found a new cause—ending lion hunting.
We’ve
been following it closely because this blog, Wildlife Watch, tells stories about wildlife
crime, conservation, and exploitation. It’s nice to be able to write about some
positive change.
This
has been a good week for lions. France is banning the import of
lion trophies from sport hunts (think lion heads, rugs, pelts, and whatnot),
and South Africa’s getting closer to endingcanned
lion hunting. That’s when ranches breed and raise lions in captivity and then
release them into confined areas to be shot by hunters.
Is the
end near for canned lion hunting? South Africa’s hunting association just voted
to distance itself from the captive-bred lion hunting industry, Africa Geographic reported yesterday. The
documentary Blood Lions, which exposed the dark underside of the
industry, had a lot to do with it. Much like what Blackfish has
done for orcas and The Cove has done for dolphins, Blood
Lions introduced us to the realities of canned hunting.
When
the documentary aired in the U.S., National Geographic wrote:
Up to
7,000 lions are living behind bars in South Africa. Raised in captivity on
private breeding farms and hunting “reserves,” some of these animals are petted
as cubs by tourists, who can also walk alongside or even feed more mature
lions.
Eventually,
many are shot in “canned” hunts, in which lions are pursued and killed in
confined areas that make them easy targets. Hunt fees can be as high as
$50,000.
Last
year, Australia became the first country to ban lion trophies.
And after Cecil’s death this summer, Zimbabwe banned lion hunting altogether...for 10 days. Now France has
also decided to ban hunters from bringing their prized lion parts home.
What
has the U.S. done? Mostly, propped up the industry.
The
U.S. is actually the biggest importer of
lion trophies. And more and more of them are coming from canned hunts.
FiveThirtyEight, which crunched the numbers, wrote:
Because
the lions are brought up by human caretakers, they often lack survival
instincts and are easy prey for tourist hunters. (Before they are hunted for
trophies, some captive-bred lions start their lives in petting zoo, becoming acclimated to people so they are
easier to stalk and kill.)
This
year alone, 405 lion trophies have been brought to the U.S., according to NBC
Bay Area’s new analysis of import
permits. Nearly 7,300 have been imported in the last 15 years.
Sen.
Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is trying to put a lid on it. His CECIL
Animals Trophies Act would make it illegal to import parts from any animal
considered threatened or endangered (lions are listed as “threatened” on the
Endangered Species Act).
The
bill is in committee now, but with powerful opponents like the National Rifle
Association and Safari Club International...well, they’ve fought these battles before.
C 2015 Reader Supported News
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The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
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