For those who don’t know, some places of Africa still allow hunters to kill rare wild animals to collect as trophies – an act known as trophy hunting. The United Kingdom is preparing to pass a bill that will make this vile act lose some of its purposes – showcasing the “trophies”.
The law will seek to completely prohibit hunters from bringing back such trophies. It will also aim to stop people from being able to buy “animal tours” which can result in harmful experiences for the wild creatures[1]. It should be passed by the end of the week.
The Bill Regarding Trophy Hunters Have Been A Long Time Coming
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of England, referred to it as a “vile trade”. Back in 2019, one of the pledges of the Tory government in England was this ban. However, it has taken over 2 years to finally get it ready and enact it. July 2021 was the original date for the publication of the bill, but it kept getting delayed.
The Daily Mail on Sunday stated that the bill follows a report that shows that over 300 endangered animals have been killed by hunters and imported back to the UK since 2019. Even Stanley Johnson, the PM’s father, has extensively campaigned to enforce the ban.
A Whitehall source told the Daily Mail on Sunday that the ban’s next steps will be discussed this week. The source also claims it will be “comprehensive, robust, and effective, delivering the promised change to help protect thousands of species.”
Read: African Elephant Kills Big Game Hunter By Falling On Top Of Him
Those Fighting Against Trophy Hunters
Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting claims that 200,000 endangered creatures have lost their lives to trophy hunters during the last decade. As such, these activities have caused an estimated 1.7Million “trophies”.
This group enjoys the support of several celebrities such as Ricky Gervais and Dame Judi Dench. They also plan to distribute a book that will target 75 trophy hunters particularly. Some of them boast of taking the lives of hundreds. Dame Judi Dench wanted the government to deliver on the high expectations that they have set. She said the public supports this policy.
Eduardo Goncalves, the founder of the group, said that the British were among the most well-known trophy hunters. In the previous year, they kept killing all manner of creatures from lions to baboons. He also pointed out the Government’s continual issuance of import permits for the tusks, skulls, skins, and bodies collected from these hunts. He called it an utter disgrace that ashamed Britain.
The Humane Society International (UK)’s executive director, Claire Bass, said that the important part will be in the legislation’s details. In an interview with The Independent, she hoped that the ban is not going to have any loopholes that will let hunters keep trophy hunting as usual. The government pledged that it would be the world’s toughest ban on trophy hunting, and they intend to hold them to it.
A Lot Of Them Can Be Found Online
The names and pictures of the trophy hunters along with their trophies can be viewed on the Umlilo Safaris website. It is a firm in South Africa that offers hunters to choose from over 50 species as their target.
Umlilo Safaris even have set rates and packager per animal. For example, their ‘combo package’ worth £9,175 ($12,150USD) will include a lioness and a lion while hunters can choose to hunt an elephant for £18,750 ($24,800USD).
As for the people who were featured, some of them claimed that this had to do with animal management. For instance, Graeme and son Greig Blundell said that they were culling animals during 2013 and were hunting those that they wanted to be removed.
Julie and David Tart claim to have killed at least fifteen species of animals via Umlilo. They said that it was a good time for them. Mr. Tart also suggested MPs talk to the African people who make a livelihood out of this if they want trophy hunting banned.
The Stance Of The Government
Neil Parish, chair of the committee looking after the bill stated that the bill still needs some fine-tuning. He said the bill must remain “sensitive to the reality of conservation overseas. However, he believes that the new Bill can bring about some real change when it comes to protecting endangered species. He considers it a massive chance to cement the nation’s place as one of the world leaders regarding animal welfare.
Well, be that as it may, we hope that the bill will be in force as soon as possible. As Goncales put it: “Every week that goes by without a ban means more animals…shot by British trophy hunters…”
Keep Reading: Herd Of Elephants Tramples And Kills Suspected Poacher In South Africa
Sources
- “UK To Introduce Ban On Importing Hunting Trophies.” Lad Bible. Hannah Blackiston. December 6, 2021.
- “Hunters face a total ban on bringing home trophy kills as figures show over 300 carcasses of endangered animals slain on safaris have been shipped to UK since 2019.” Daily Mail. Michael Powell. December 5, 2021.
- “Hunters face total ban on bringing trophy kills back to UK” The Independent. December 6, 2021.