Trump to Reverse Ban on Import of Elephant Trophies

By Rachel Dranetz on November 17, 2017

pexels.com

On Wednesday, November 15, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that the ban on elephant hunting trophies- enacted during Obama’s presidency- will be reversed.

When this ban is officially overturned by the Trump administration, hunters will be allowed to bring elephant trophies into the U.S. from Zambia and Zimbabwe big-game hunting expeditions.

“Though elephants are listed as endangered, a provision of the Endangered Species Act allows the government to give permits to import such trophies if there is evidence that the hunting benefits conservation for that species. Hunters typically pay hefty fees to local government agencies for permission to pursue the animals.” (1:Nov 16, 2017)

“Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” a FWS spokesperson said in an official statement. (2:Nov 16, 2017)

The National Rifle Association praised the FWS decision shortly after the announcement was made public. The NRA has made similar previous statements on the overturning of the ban on lion trophies, which occurred earlier this fall.

“By lifting the import ban on lion trophies in Zimbabwe and Zambia, the Trump Administration underscored the importance of sound scientific wildlife management and regulated hunting to the survival and enhancement of game species in this country and worldwide,” said Chris Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action. ”This is a significant step forward in having hunting receive the recognition it deserves as a tool of wildlife management, which had been all but buried in the previous administration.” (3: Oct 24, 2017)

Pexels.com

According to the Great Elephant Census project, the population of African elephants in Zimbabwe has been declining in recent years. “The current rate of decline is 8% per year, primarily due to poaching, and the rate has accelerated from 2007 to 2014.”

This decision has sparked outrage among a number of wildlife conservation groups, and even among high-profile celebrities.

“‘It’s a venal and nefarious pay-to-slay arrangement that Zimbabwe has set up with the trophy hunting industry,’ Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive of the Humane Society, wrote in a blog post.

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder and senior scientist at the Nairobi-based Save the Elephants, said in an interview on Thursday that while hunting has fostered conservation in the past, allowing it now could undermine efforts to curb the widespread poaching that underpins the global ivory trade. Africans, he said, are ‘being told don’t kill elephants, and rich Americans are being allowed to come and do it. When you go back in history, it did do good, but now is absolutely not the time to be opening up hunting.’” (5:Nov 16,2017)

“Reprehensible behaviour by the Trump Admin. 100 elephants a day are already killed. This will lead to more poaching.” The Elephant Project tweeted on Wednesday.

Ellen DeGeneres dedicated a portion of her show on Thursday to protest the ban reversal announcement, starting the hashtag #BeKindtoElephants.

“‘Basically by lifting this ban, he is encouraging Americans to kill elephants,’ Degeneres said. ‘Elephants show compassion, sympathy, social intelligence, self-awareness, they’re excellent at learning abilities — all the things I have yet to see in this president.’” (9:Nov 17, 2017)

Chelsea Clinton took to twitter, supporting DeGeneres and calling the lifting of the ban “infuriating”. A number of other celebrities took to twitter, speaking up against the FWS decision, including Ricky Gervais, Russell Crowe, Olivia Munn, Henry Winkler, Kristin Davis, Daniella Monet, Carl Reiner, and John Cusack. (9:Nov 17, 2017)

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have been previously criticized for their big-game hunting activities. Several years ago, Trump Jr. received backlash for posting a photo of himself on twitter, holding a dead elephant’s severed tail.

pexels.com

 Sources

1. USA Today

2. Fox News

3. NRA

4. The Great Elephant Census

5. Washington Post

6. Wayne Pacelle’s Blog

7. The Elephant Project Tweet

8. Huff Post

9. ABC News

10. Chelsea Clinton Twitter

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format