Putting an end to lion trophy hunting in memory of Cecil
By Kitty Block and Sara Amundson
The killing of Cecil the lion (pictured above) five years ago by an American trophy hunter in Zimbabwe triggered worldwide outrage. Since then we have been working to end the horrors of trophy hunting both in the U.S. and abroad. And one of the best ways to do it is by prohibiting the import of lion trophies to the world’s three largest importers, the UK, the EU, and the U.S. And together, with your support, that’s what we’re going to do. Photo by iStockphoto
The killing of Cecil the lion five years this week ago by an American trophy hunter in Zimbabwe triggered worldwide outrage. Father of a pride, lured with an elephant carcass, wounded by an arrow, he suffered for hours before being killed by gunshot. As it turned out, this was a shot heard around the world, giving momentum to global demand for an end to trophy killing of animals.
Cecil should not have been the victim of such wanton brutality. He was known and admired by tourists and wildlife photographers from around the world who came to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park to observe him and other animals. He was also the subject of a long-term research study by scientists.
Sadly, however, Cecil’s fate was not unusual. Every year dozens of wild lions are killed by trophy hunters in range states. With as few as 20,000 lions left in the wild, this majestic species is in serious jeopardy.
But it’s not too late to take the steps needed to stop trophy killing dead in its tracks.
In their urge to slaughter such majestic creatures, trophy hunters have long been abetted by government agencies in nations throughout the world, including the United States. While the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 2016 has provided oversight for trade in African lions through a strict permitting requirement for trophy imports, American trophy hunters continue to travel to Africa to kill them, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continues to approve import permits. Recent analysis of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) trade data showed that between 2017 and 2018, the U.S. signed off on the importation of 150 lion trophies. Among the 150 lion trophies, 19 trophies came from wild lions in Zimbabwe.
In this race to the moral bottom, European trophy hunters are catching up. In 2017 and 2018, CITES trade data showed that European Union (EU) member states imported 406 lion trophies, including 18 wild lions in Zimbabwe. Lions were the fifth most common trophy species imported into EU member states, with Spain, Hungary, Germany, and Poland doing the most damage.
In the UK, CITES trade data found that from 2015 to 2018, the number of imported lion trophies has doubled. Last December, thankfully, the UK government launched a consultation concerning its proposed ban on the import and export of hunting trophies. Humane Society International/UK responded with a petition signed by 100,000 supporters and is continuing to call for just such a ban.
There is another facet to trophy killing of which many people are unaware: the more than 300 captive lion breeding facilities in South Africa that make an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 animals available for trophy killing. Here’s how it works. Captive-born cubs are torn from their mothers just days after birth and exploited for the “snuggle scam”—tourist selfies or walking-with-lion safaris. After they grow too big, these hand-reared lions are funneled to canned lion hunt facilities. Trophy hunters pay to shoot them in fenced enclosures where there’s nowhere to run. The shooters bring home their trophies, while the leftover bones are sent to Asia as tiger bone substitutes as the illegal tiger bone trade decimates the species.
The scale of this deadly industry is a shocking one. Of the EU’s 406 imported lion trophies in 2017 and 2018, 312 came from captive lion hunt facilities in South Africa. Shockingly, the United States is itself home to many canned facilities, which offer their own array of threatened and endangered species for the killing.
We’re doing a lot to challenge trophy hunting and international trade of trophies throughout the world, but our most important priority in the U.S. at present is the passage of the Prohibiting Threatened and Endangered Trophies Act of 2019 (ProTECT) Act, introduced by Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-T.X., Ted Lieu, D-C.A., and Peter King, R-N.Y. The bill will help prevent the hunting of any species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act, disallow killing ESA-listed species at canned hunting facilities in the U.S. and ban the import of trophies of ESA-listed species to the U.S.
Given the progress we’ve made in recent years, it’s already clear that Cecil did not die in vain. But there is much more to be done to expand his legacy, and one of the best ways to do it is by prohibiting the import of lion trophies to the world’s three largest importers, the UK, the EU, and the U.S. And together, with your support, that’s what we’re going to do.
Sara Amundson is president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund.
No es justo que por diversión y trofeos maten animales en qué mundo vivimos esto tiene que acabar ya
Please end this barbaric practice. Its heartbreaking to see these beautiful animals killed so callously.
I agree with you Debbie. It’s heart breaking to think these beautiful animals are being killed just so some heartless cruel idiots can put a head of an animal on their wall. These precious animals enjoy their life just as we do. I just hope these morons have nightmares for the rest of their pathetic lives.
Lions are the top predator of Africa and it is unacceptable to trophy hunt them also known as kill them because if this continues then Africa’s ecosystems will go out of balance and everything will die. Please make sure that you shut down trophy hunting and poaching forever and rest all of those who’ve been trying to kill the wild life no matter what because we must protect the species forever because I care about the lions and all the other Wildcats no matter what.
Well said!! Hunting & brutal killing of these treasures of nature must end, but it’s all about money & not their precious lives that matter to these monsters
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙏🏼
Please make sure that you shut down trophy hunting and poaching forever, the loss of these precious animals will forever change the landscape of the fields that were their home.
Animals are Gods creatures just like humans….when humans kill humans they are severely punished so should trophy hunters be severely punished for their murderous act.
Es soll keine Diskussionen geben.es gehört sofort per Gesetz verboten werden oder wenn und aber. Alle Menschen die sowas tun gehören bestraft zu werden!!!!
Look at St. Hubertus – global trophy hunting sickos. They have the $$ and power. They are sick-in-the-head trophy hunters who like to keep their shroud of secrecy except of course when they gather together in the most absurd pompous looking outfits at their annual gatherings.
They are some of the worst offenders of not only killing lions, but defending the right to do so.
All for their sick menageries.
Stop this!! It’s insane harming our lions for a dam trophy!! Pathetic maggots!!!
Please shut down this self and titled trophy hunting and poaching forever! If you believe these animals do not have souls, you have not looked in their eyes long enough! The people who take delight in taking the lives of gods creatures are monsters!!!!
I hope the cruel idiot dentist that killed Cecil has a DRAMATIC reduction in his business because people won’t stand for this kind of inhumane behavior.
Pls end the killing of innocent animals
I clicked on this link to sign the petition and there’s nowhere to sign!
This is completely unacceptable. Stop the hunting of lions. End of story.
Animals are here for us to admire. The lion is such a majestic animal and should be left in peace to live the life it’s meant to live. As should all animals. What happened to Cecil was heartbreaking and will never be forgotten.
Trophy hunting should be and must be made illegal and any and all violators must be fined heavily and given jail time. They should also have to perform supervised volunteer work with animals when they are released from prison. If these actions were carried out to the fullest with no exceptions, I am sure that we could end trophy hunting.
After the death of Cecil and the global outrage. After signing endless petions calling for a ban ..And still these blood thirsty insane hunters are issued licenses to carry on killing African wild life. Let alone the barbarick canned hunting…..ENOUGH!!!Stop this pointless killing …..
CHANGE THE LAWS to protect!! Put a stop to senseless killing of these magnificent animals! Together we can make this happen so please read and sign petitions that have to do with animals. It’s imperative that we stop all senseless killing of any animal!
Trophy hunting serves utterly no useful purpose to our society. Animals are one of God’s gifts to us humans. We therefore must provide them safety and security; and the maintenance of their existence.
Feel the animal’s ain. They are being betrayed. They trust us to keep them safe as directed in the Bible.
Let us end the hunting and poaching forever!
Unacceptable, inhumane behaviour!
I am still sick over Cecils slaughter. What gives this evil human the right to take any animals life? How is he still in business? Who would let such a mean spirited human be their dentist?
Cecil should have never died like that! Ban the trophy hunting, it’s very cruel and barbaric for these innocent, defenseless animals!!!
What is going on? Who did he pay off??
These hunters must be arrested for killing innocent and beautiful
Animals. Lock them up!
There’s no honor in doing this type of hunting this needs to stop now. People who engage in this need psychological help there is absolutely something wrong with them.
Put an end to this cowardly act!!
It saddens me to the core of my being that killing of a lion or any wild animal for a trophy is perceived as manly or courageous. I dated 2 men in my younger days who were doctors. One had a bear skin rug and the other moose antlers. I stopped going out with them as it seemed too egotistical.
All animals are not ours to hurt, starve, neglect, abuse or kill for any reason. They belong to God and it’s our job to make sure they all live comfortably with us.
Trophy hunting should be BANNED all over the world.
What kind of people enjoy killing wild animals. Once again it all comes down to money by greedy breeders who are just as evil as those hunters. My heart breaks for these poor animals. It’s about time the world governments do something to stop this barbaric game.
Trophy hunting needs to be banned, it’s cruel and not necessary. It’s disturbing that people get pleasure out of killing inoccent animals. It’s the governments fault because they want to get paid for people to hunt to control population of animals instead of government controlling it in a more humane way! It’s truly barbaric! Not saying much for human beings in 2021 actually pretty sad we haven’t come far from the cave!!!
Them idiots are mentally ill. There not hunters they’re cowards underneath it. They call themselves hunters, more like a big spoilt baby in combat gear. Id like to see them go out on there own without the gun. See who wins then. THE LION WINS EVERTIME. What a magnificent predator. Leave them alone.
It is really sad that you see other countries ban Trophy hunting but not the United States.
Let’s rise a great protest against slaughter of the gorgeous animal. To prove yourself a better animal in this earth try to protect other. There is no pride in hunting lion with gun. The masai are fur more brave than those hunters.