On 13 April 2019 hundreds of people joined the London #MarchAgainstExtinction to call for a ban on trophy hunting imports to the UK
The 5th Global March for Elephants and Rhinos (GMFER) saw over 60 events around the world join in a huge day of action for endangered wildlife.
At the end of the march we delivered a letter to Theresa May signed by conservationists, NGOs, MPs, animal welfare groups and celebrities, calling for the government to BAN ALL IMPORTS OF HUNTING TROPHIES TO THE UK.
Around 2,500 body parts of animals killed for ‘sport’ have been brought home by British hunters over the past decade, including hundreds from endangered species such as elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, and leopards. This barbaric practice continues to decimate already threatened species and drive them closer to extinction.
Contrary to arguments used by trophy hunters that hunting helps conservation and local communities, the truth is it brings no benefits to either sector, and its contribution economically is virtually nil. On all counts, the science starkly contradicts the pro-hunting arguments.
GMFER2019 was timed to take place shortly before CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP18) in Sri Lanka on 23 May–3 June. GMFER is organizing a global call to CoP delegates to: support the proposal to uplist elephants to Appendix I; reject the proposal from several southern African countries to re-open ivory trade and trade in elephant trophies; and reject the proposal to allow trade in the Southern White Rhino.
The broader theme of GMFER2019 is #SaveOurWildWorld. Wild animals and their habitats are everywhere under threat. Without maximum protection by the global community and CITES, elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes and all endangered megafauna face certain extinction in the wild. Relentless poaching, habitat loss, and the vast trade in their body parts are wiping them out. Allowing the last of these species to be killed for ‘fun’ is not only morally abhorrent but is having catastrophic consequences for these species.
We call on the British government to take urgent action to ban the import of hunting trophies and to support efforts internationally to end this gruesome trade once and for all.
Please sign these petitions calling for bans on trophy hunting imports:
Ban the import of hunting trophies from threatened species
Born Free Foundation petition to end trophy hunting
Petition to CITES to ban trophy hunting of endangered species
Ban lion trophy hunting imports into the UK
Email your MP – Ban Trophy Hunting imports to the UK!
Germany, Stop the Import of Hunting Trophies of Protected Animals
#BanTrophyHunting
#SaveOurWildWorld
