Trump says hunting helps endangered animals
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said it will allow the importation of body parts from African elephants shot for sport, contending that encouraging wealthy big-game hunters to kill them will aid the vulnerable species.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a notice Thursday that permitting elephants from Zimbabwe and Zambia to be brought back as trophies will raise money for conservation programs. A licensed twoweek African elephant hunt can cost more than $50,000 per person.
The change marks a shift in efforts to stop the importation of elephant tusks and hides, overriding a 2014 ban imposed by the Obama administration. The new policy applies to the remains of elephants killed between January 2016 and December 2018.
“Legal, well-regulated sport hunting, as part of a sound management program, can benefit certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve those species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation,” the Wildlife Service said.
Animal-rights activists and environmental groups expressed skepticism that killing elephants could help save them. Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said the policy change sends the wrong signal amid international efforts to curb illegal poaching.
“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?” Pacelle asked.
President Donald Trump’s two adult sons are avid trophy hunters. A photo of Donald Trump Jr. holding a knife and the bloody severed tail of an elephant he reportedly killed in Zimbabwe in 2011 sparked outrage among animal-rights activists.
Thursday’s change was quickly praised by groups that champion big-game trophy hunting, including Safari Club International and an arm of the National Rifle Association.