African Lion is NOW Protected Under Endangered Species Act

 “It has been a very long four years waiting for this decision.” – Adam M. Roberts, Born Free USA CEO 

Four years ago animal organizations wanted African lions listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).   It is expected the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will announce their final decision today by listing the African lion as endangered in west and central Africa.  It was also said that the lion is threatened in east and south Africa, with a special rule pending that would require certain conditions to be met for importation of any lion trophies from countries with a threatened population.

This decision will occur five months after Cecil the lion was killed by a U.S. dentist in Zimbabwe.  The listing will add news restrictions to keep hunters from bringing back lion heads to the U.S. as trophies.  Parts from endangered lions will be all but banned.

Today experts believe there are fewer than 20,000 lions remaining, living in a fragmented 8% of their historic natural range. Due to the dire situation the African lion is facing, both Australia and France banned the import of lion trophies this year.

Despite the significant and continued declines in population and range, the number of lion trophies imported to the United States is increasing.  In 2014 trophy imports to the United States were greater than any other year in the preceding decade and more than twice the number in 2005.

According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA,  “It has been a very long four years waiting for this decision, with each year seeing more lions slaughtered by hunters for trophies. This is a victory and we applaud USFWS for agreeing that these animals deserve significant international protection under the ESA, popularly considered one of the world’s most important conservation laws.

“We are hopeful the USFWS will be rigorous when investigating any management plans in lion range states and proposed trophy imports, and that the U.S. government will set the bar incredibly high before allowing any trophies to come in,” Roberts adds.

I wonder what the people of Zimbabwe think of this new ruling.

Born Free USA ESA Timeline for African Lions:

Have a story, please email me at tevangelistaepp@yahoo. Like my tv page at https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues.