African Lions Are One Step Closer to Being Protected From Trophy Hunters

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http://www.care2.com/greenliving/african-lions-are-one-step-closer-to-being-protected-from-hunters.html


Diane MacEachern October 28, 2014 8:01 am



African lions came a step closer to being protected from trophy hunting yesterday when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposed listing them as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

An accompanying proposed rule would limit the permits issued for the import of sport-hunted lion trophies to lions originating from countries with a scientifically sound management plan for the species. “Lion numbers have declined by more than half in the last three decades,” said Jeff Flocken, North American Regional Director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “To allow trophy hunting to continue unabated is kicking an animal while it’s already down. We thank the U.S. government for acknowledging that this iconic species is in grave trouble and that unsustainable trophy hunting is a part of this problem.” IFAW, together with Born Free USA, Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the U.S., and other groups had petitioned the USFWS to act. The Animal Advocates group on Care2.com also circulated a petition urging lions to be listed as endangered under the ESA.

All the groups agree that African lions need protection because:

In the past three decades, the number of African lions in the wild has dropped by more than 50 percent;

The West African lion population is critically imperiled. Only about 400 lions total were found in four protected areas.

Current estimates indicate that there are little more than 2,000 lions left in Central Africa; 18,000 in East Africa; and 11,000 in Southern Africa.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

At bottom of link: petition List African Lion as Endangered Species

FULL story at link.