Lion trophies may face ban after Gove meets activists

MICHAEL GOVE is considering banning imports of lion trophies after meeting with animal rights activists.

The Daily Telegraph understands the Environment Secretary is sympathetic to the idea of a ban, and is considering doing so to help end the practice of “canned” lion hunting, which is when the animals are kept in a confined, fenced off area, making it easy for those who pay enough money to kill them.

Their carcasses are then sent home to the UK where they are proudly displayed as trophies.

This controversial practice mainly takes place in South Africa, and hunters fly in from all over the world to guarantee killing a lion.

There are currently more than 200 breeding facilities in the country, where the animals are reared to be slaughtered. Lord Ashcroft recently raised the issue with Mr Gove after an investigation and said he had found evidence of poor animal welfare.

Earlier this week, Mr Gove met with stakeholders including Will Travers, who leads the Born Free foundation, and Zac Goldsmith, the Conservative MP for Richmond who chaired a debate on the issue on Wednesday.

Mr Goldsmith told The Telegraph: “The public is appalled at the idea of beautiful creatures like lions being bred simply to be shot like goldfish in a bowl. Self-evidently, we shouldn’t be incentivising this revolting activity by allowing trophy imports into the UK.”

Sources close to Mr Gove said he was looking at banning imports of trophies of lions shot under canned conditions first, before considering the evidence for banning imports of trophies of all endangered animals.

A Defra source added: “The Environment Secretary has met with Lord Ashcroft and key stakeholders this week and has agreed to hold further meetings on this critical issue. He is committed to ensuring the UK Government does whatever it can to protect some of the world’s most iconic species.”

Mr Travers told The Telegraph that Mr Gove seemed sympathetic to a ban.

He added: “Given those pro trophy hunting representatives in the room and those opposed agreed that canned hunting was an unacceptable practice, it would seem to me that taking action to end the import of lion trophies from canned hunting areas in South Africa would be a win for him.

“I think several people in the room thought that would be something he would pick up and run with. I think if he was minded to do something in the short term, that would be where he is likely to focus his attention.”