A UK bill that aims to curb cruel trophy hunting has passed the House of Commons and now is on its way through the House of Lords.
The gruesome death in 2015 of Cecil the lion, who was shot to death by a dentist who paid £35,000 to kill him, sparked outrage and years-long campaigns by multiple organizations to ban trophy hunting in the UK.
A member of Parliament then introduced in June 2022 the The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill, which if passed by all parties would prohibit bringing hunting “trophies” from endangered species into Great Britain.
During the bill’s approval during the third reading stage in the House of Commons, Environment Minister Trudy Harrison said that “Cecil the lion has not died in vain.”
“We are sending a strong message to the rest of the world that in this country, where we can, we are demonstrating our support for endangered species” Harrison said. “We do not accept their body parts being used as so-called trophies to be brought back into this country.”
The bill’s passage was a “huge victory,” according to Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting’s Founder Eduardo Gonçalves. Wildlife Campaigner Chris Packham also applauded the progress.
“Trophy hunting will quite rightly come to an end,” Packham told The Mirror, which also campaigned for the bill. “It’s a grotesque, anachronistic waste of beautiful life.”
The House of Commons also made headlines recently for approving a separate bill that would ban UK travel companies from advertising experiences abroad that feature cruel animal activities, like elephant riding.
We thank the more than 25,000 people who signed our petition advocating for this life-saving legislation! We’ll keep watching for new developments.
