Lions are an African species — perhaps the most venerated African species of all. But such is the nature of the global economy and the interconnectedness of the planet that to save the King of the Beasts in its natural home, advocates say it must be listed as endangered in the United States.
On Tuesday morning, a coalition of wildlife groups filed a petition with the Department of Interior seeking such a listing under the Endangered Species Act, which would prevent the importation of heads or skins or claws (or any parts) of lions that were hunted as trophies.
Although big game hunting might seem like a relic of another era, the petition documents the role that international trade in African lions and their parts is playing a role in the reduction of the population. “From 1998 through 2008, at least 7,445 wild lions were traded internationally, with the United States importing a minimum of 4,021,” the groups said.