Washington, D.C. — Cecil the lion’s tragic death at the hands of an American trophy hunter in July has been a catalyst for action across the nation. Following his slaughter, Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, called on the U.S. government to take urgent steps to end the importation of lion trophies.[teaserbreak]
Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) heeded this call to action yesterday by introducing the “Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act” (H.R. 3526). This bill is a companion to a similar bill introduced in late July by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and several Senate colleagues (S. 1918).
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and the Born Free Foundation, “Nothing can bring Cecil back, but we can work to ensure that this horrific tragedy is not repeated by other callous hunters who seek a wild animal trophy at any cost. The CECIL Animal Trophies Act is a long-awaited, critical step toward ending this inhumane, unsustainable, and unsportsmanlike practice.”
The CECIL Animal Trophies Act would prohibit the importation of trophies from species that are proposed to be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) but have not yet been listed. The only exemption is if the hunter receives a special permit from the Secretary of the Interior. This ensures that when an imperiled species, such as the African lion, is proposed for listing by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), hunters do not rush to kill as many of them as possible for trophies before their window of opportunity closes.
In October 2014, in response to a petition submitted by Born Free USA and other organizations, FWS proposed listing the African lion as threatened under the ESA. Born Free USA has been urging FWS to finalize this rule as quickly as possible (the petition was submitted in March 2011), but lions continue to be shot in the meantime. Lion populations have dropped by more than 50% since 1980, and trophy hunting continues to contribute to this decline. Current estimates suggest there are barely more than 20,000 lions remaining across Africa, and localized or regionalized extinctions in the next decade are possible.
Roberts added, “The outrage expressed by the American public over Cecil’s death has made it clear that the vast majority of U.S. citizens believe this is not an acceptable way to treat wildlife. This country passionately supports the conservation of wild animal species at risk. Congress has a significant responsibility to do everything in its power to stop the cruel slaughter of threatened and endangered species for sport. Born Free USA applauds Congressman Grijalva and Senator Menendez for taking concrete steps to demonstrably reduce the unacceptable trophy hunting of imperiled wildlife.”
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”—the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, therodicompany@gmail.com