The U.K. Drops Proposed Ban That Would Have Restricted the Import of Body Parts from Trophy Hunts

The government of the United Kingdom has decided to drop a proposed ban that restricts the import of body parts from wild animals killed on trophy hunts. This decision has alarmed Animal rights activists who say that this encourages the continued hunting of vulnerable or endangered wild species. Animals who are frequently killed by trophy hunters include elephants, bears, cougars, lions, leopards, and zebras. 

The ban on importation of body parts from trophy hunts was first proposed in 2019 during the Queen’s Speech. However, Conservative officials have since backtracked on the proposed ban. Since 2019, it is estimated that at least 715 wild animals have been killed by British trophy hunters. These hunters travel outside of the country to legally hunt specific wild animals. The hunters then bring back the animals’ bodies, or parts of their bodies, as grisly souvenirs.

According to data from the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, up to 50 percent of the animals killed by trophy hunters are not killed immediately. Instead, they suffer slow and painful deaths. Animals such as lions are also frequently bred at specialized farms, and then killed in enclosures by trophy hunters. Specialized places also exist that allow hunters to drive around in tanks, or shoot animals from a helicopter using machine guns.

Additionally, trophy hunting can decimate wild animal populations. Since many trophy hunters want to kill threatened or endangered species, this horrific activity can have a severe impact. For example, there are only an estimated 3,500 wild male lions left across Africa. Hunting quotas drastically exceed the levels that scientists estimate are necessary to sustain the species. Within the last 100 years, the species gene pool has shrunk by roughly 15 percent. 

Trophy hunting can also drive animals to lose traits that help them survive. For example, elephant’s tusks help these creatures to survive periods of drought. The elephants use them to dig down into the earth to find water. However, trophy hunters specifically target animals with large tusks. Over 200 years of this has led to increasing numbers of elephants with small tusks or no tusks, according to The Ecologist. 

Conservationists and lawmakers continue to push for bans on the importation of bodies or body parts from trophy hunts. The hope is that this will make this horrible activity less attractive and prevent the needless slaughter of hundreds of vulnerable wild animals. 

Sign this petition to Demand Authorities Ban Trophy Hunting Imports!

Ahimsa by Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content: 

• Undercover Investigation at Safari Club International Conventions Exposes Cruel Promotion of Trophy Hunting
• Want to Save Our Planet? Stop Trophy Hunting
• 83 Elephants at Stake in Trophy Hunting Auction 
• Undercover Investigation Shows Shocking Trophy Hunting Auction
• Trophy Hunting Is Even Worse Than It Sounds 

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