Plans to Lift the Ban on Imported Elephant Trophies

In 2014 Barack Obama banned the importation of elephant trophies from Zimbabwe, after finding out that the management of legal hunting did not “enhance the survival of the African elephant in the wild.” Only 3 years later, Trump has decided to reverse the ban, allowing elephant trophies to be imported from Zimbabwe and Zambia. The information was confirmed by the US Fish and Wildlife service, and said it was going ahead, despite African elephants being classified as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act. People from all over the world have hit social media in droves, protesting the unjust and unnecessary removal of the ban. Among the outraged is UK comedian and animal-rights activist Ricky Gervais, who tweeted his devastation yesterday.

The fact that Trump has lifted President Obama’s ban on elephant trophies being imported into the country is a devastating blow to the survival of these beautiful animals. It’s savage and pointless. It breaks my heart. pic.twitter.com/iclfxN6TXr

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) November 16, 2017

The Humane Society CEO (US), Wayne Pacelle says the removal of the ban is giving US hunters the ‘green light’. “What kind of message does it send to say to the world that poor Africans who are struggling to survive cannot kill elephants in order to use or sell their parts to make a living, but that it’s just fine for rich Americans to slay the beasts for their tusks to keep as trophies?”