Despite growing outrage over trophy hunting and repeated promises by UK politicians to outlaw the practice, wealthy British hunters are still importing the body parts of endangered animals.
Newly released figures reveal that last year alone, British hunters brought home the bodies of at least three African elephants, along with scores of body parts from crocodiles, bears, lions, baboons, cheetahs and zebras. In total, they imported nearly 200 trophies from threatened species, fuelling urgent calls for the government to finally deliver on a long-promised ban.
Both Conservative and Labour election manifestos in 2019 and 2024 included pledges to prohibit such imports, but no action has been taken.
The lions were captive-bred but nearly all the other animals were wild and shot in Africa, according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, CITES information.
New Trophy Hunting Exposé
Numerous websites sell legal hunting holidays, and British wildlife hunters accounted for only around 10 per cent of the endangered species shot in 2023.
Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, is launching a documentary and three books on the subject, marking the 10th anniversary of the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe, which prompted an outpouring of global anger.
The film, Britain’s Trophy Hunters, includes new footage from UK trophy-hunters’ homes, trophy rooms and South African hunting estates used by British clients.
Campaigners, backed by television star Chris Packham, say trophy-hunting is accelerating the loss of nature, and are intensifying calls on the UK government to deliver on Labour’s longstanding manifesto promise to ban hunting trophy imports.
A proud, beautiful creature murdered for “sport” in a display of senseless cruelty. It was an act of barbarism emblematic of the utterly grim and outdated practice of trophy hunting.
Actress Dame Joanna Lumley said: ‘Goncalves destroys the myth that trophy-hunting is just a handful of Americans. He exposes Britain’s shameful role, and why the government must act now.’
Dame Joanna demanded the government act on a trophy hunting ban when she also marked the 10th anniversary of Cecil’s death. The male lion who lived in the Hwange National Park, was killed on July 2nd 2015 by a trophy hunter from the US after being lured outside the park.
His killing sparked almost universal worldwide outrage and put a spotlight on ethical concerns around trophy hunting.
Dame Joanna said: ‘The brutal, senseless killing of Cecil a decade ago shocked and enraged me as it shocked and enraged the world. A proud, beautiful creature murdered for “sport” in a display of senseless cruelty. It was an act of barbarism emblematic of the utterly grim and outdated practice of trophy hunting.
‘Now, 10 years on, I am just as shocked. Shocked that successive governments have failed to keep their promise to the British people and make it illegal for hunters to bring their spoils from this so-called sport back here to the UK. We need a ban on the import of hunting trophies here in Britain. Trophy hunting is helping drive endangered species to extinction and we need to play our part in bringing that to an end. Cecil had a right to life, as all wild animals do.’
A private member’s bill, by Conservative MP David Reed, banning trophy imports is due to have a second reading in the House of Commons later this month, but private member’s bills rarely become law without government support.
