Trump admin. to reverse ban on elephant trophies from Africa

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: ABC News

The Trump administration plans to allow hunters to import trophies of elephants they killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia back to the United States, reversing a ban put in place by the Obama administration in 2014, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official confirmed to ABC News today.

Even though elephants are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, a provision in the act allows the government to give permits to import these trophies if there is evidence that the hunting actually benefits conservation for that species. The official said they have new information from officials in Zimbabwe and Zambia to support reversing the ban to allow trophy hunting permits.

"Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation," a Fish and Wildlife spokesperson said in a statement.

This change only applies to elephants in those two countries but questions about using game hunting to generate money for conservation efforts also came up during the controversy after Cecil the lion was killed in Zimbabwe in 2015. The government has not actually announced this policy change yet but it was reportedly announced at a wildlife forum in South Africa this week, according to Safari Club International, which filed a lawsuit to block the 2014 ban.

It's unclear how the current political situation in Zimbabwe could affect this decision, but a blog post from the president of the Humane Society points out that poaching has been a problem in Zimbabwe over the years and that the hunting industry there faces corruption issues. A notice regarding this change will be posted in the Federal Register on Friday with more specifics on what new information justifies the changes.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-admin-reverse-ban-elephant-trophies-africa/story?id=51178663

[Sneederbunk]

1. Jr. and Eric must have whined.

[dhol82]

2. Exactly!

[TomCADem]

6. Talk About Self-Indulgent

[dalton99a]

34. +1

[lagomorph777]

35. Bingo. Probably the number one reason I despise the Trumps.

Fuck them and the hillbillies they rode in on.

[unhip white guy]

3. Trump is Begging Now

nt

[MFM008]

4. between a rock and a hard place

I wish he was.

[Botany]

5. Elephants are as smart as you me

They can speak to each other over many miles

They live as families

They mourn their dead

[SoCalMusicLover]

10. GOP Will Send Thoughts & Prayers(TM). nt

[sandensea]

7. So much for being the GOP mascot.

[lagomorph777]

36. Holy cow that needs to be turned into a bumper sticker.

Love it.

[sandensea]

43. Why, thank you.

Since I first read a National Geographic article on the subject of elephant and rhino poaching 30 years ago or so, it's always bothered me.

I have a friend who devotes her free time to elephant protection advocacy; I know she's livid about this - but she keeps it to herself.

Most Republicans are sadists, and the more outrage we express over brutality against animals they more they're likely to push it. Like malicious children.

[lagomorph777]

44. Another fine bumper sticker: Republicans are sadists.

Thanks again.

[guss]

8. Trophy

Get that P.o.S off that Majestic Animal.
That boy cant hold a Candle compared to that Elephant.
holding a tail cut off, compared to his small dick.

[Journeyman]

9. I fear such hunts will be akin to farm-raised bison hunting here in the States . . .

My wife's employer did that once. He and his son flew into Texas, spent a night on a ranch, and were taken out the next morning and introduced to their "hunt." Introduced is the best way to describe it. Their host drove them out to a pen some distance from the ranch house where they found their "prey" enjoying his morning oats from a trough in his pen. His name was "Buffy."

The "hunt" took all of a few minutes. Once Buffy finished eating and ambled to the other side of the pen, the intrepid "hunters" pulled out their rifle, then took turns shooting him until he dropped over dead. Their host then had the carcass hauled to the ranch's barn where "Buffy" was skinned and processed, the various cuts were packaged and frozen, and the head sent off to a taxidermist. Then everything was packed on ice and shipped to California.

The head was displayed in his den until he died. It was far too big to be there and on his passing his widow sent it to one of the hunting clubs to which he belonged.

I could never shake the feeling, however, that even he realized the "hunt" was pathetic and would have been much better had he just purchased the beast over the phone, had it humanely butchered, and accepted delivery of a freezer full of meat. The trophy could have stayed in Texas.

As for trophies of Elephants? I have quite a few, all captured with a variety of lenses and camera settings. And the thing with mine is, I can always return and get more of the same animal, and it doesn't bother me at all to know their names.

[Gothmog]

11. This is simply wrong

[notdarkyet]

12. Soon, trump and his brood will have managed to piss off or offend everyone. He is

Not a Christian, he is the antichrist. He seems to be obsessed with pain and destruction. Every day it seems, he finds a new way to wreak havoc on the people and the planet while he enriches himself and works on destroying obamas legacy. Evil never stops.

[yuiyoshida]

13. JUST FUCK HIM AND HIS WHOLE FUCKING FAMILY

I WISH we had a middle finger Emoji ....

[Mrs. Overall]

14. How about this:

[yuiyoshida]

47. Nice one....

I am so fucking pissed at this President

[SummerSnow]

25. We have lots of middle finger gifs..

[yuiyoshida]

48. gifs yes, emoji no....

I wanta find one...

[Judi Lynn]

15. He's bound to get a huuuuuge "standing ovation" from the Republican House and Senate majorities.

He may be given sainthood by the N.R.A.

It's too late for true justice, but the sooner he leaves office, the better.

He couldn't be worse for the planet, for life itself.

He needs to go, and take his evil supporters with him, now.

It will take a long, long time to undo the damage the predators have already done to this world.

[Phoenix61]

16. In a perfect world, the elephant would get even nt

[LuckyLib]

17. Is there anything his abhorrent administration will not tamper with?

[C Moon]

18. And his party's mascot, too. He only did this to get at Obama.

He just hates Obama. Because Obama was a successful president, and Trump knows he's NEVER going to come close.

[world wide wally]

19. Just to prove what a prick he is

[PearliePoo2]

20. "Revulsion" is my word for anything and everything about this so-called person.

[sprinkleeninow]

21. There has to be some ultra strong words for this behavior. Or an idiom.

As sayings in foreign languages can't be translated verbatim, bc then you'd lose the true gist.

Dastardly? Still too mild.

Daily I am sickened along with a multitude of my compatriots.

[SummerSnow]

27. Despicable, notorious, heinous and diabolical.

[trusty elf]

22. .....

[Duppers]

45. Ha! Perfect.

Stealing.

[Lulu KC]

23. Heartbroken

and angry. Truly deplorable.

[OKNancy]

24. I hate him n/t

[Vinca]

26. Asshole

[Sunlei]

28. He's a sick man, an emotional abuser enabled by Republicans, he takes pleasure in peoples pain.

They'll be "after" any animals people love &/or want to protect from abuse. Republicans already are supporting horrific abuse and have been for a VERY long time.

[Number9Dream]

29. This is terribly wrong!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

30. Knr

[bluestarone]

31. i have totally run out of

terms to describe this skin covered SNAKE

[Blue_Tires]

32. All those pundits/bloggers/thought leaders who said

there was "no difference" between Donnie and Hillary need to either be shot into the sun or given a one-way trip to the bottom of the Pacific -- Their choice...

[Coventina]

33. I can't handle this. I simply can't.

I am going to fucking lose it.

[CountAllVotes]

37. +1,000 !!

When I read the headline I said out loud, "What a fucking bastard!".

And yeah, I mean it!

[Duppers]

41. I did when I heard this yesterday.

I scared my poor dog.

If that man had been in front of me, he wouldn't have eyes left.

Elephants are such intelligent, caring people.



I'd like to see a trophy of Junior's cut off.

[Coventina]

42. If I hear anyone ever say Hillary would have been the same as Trump

I will punch them.

I seriously think I will.

I am at the end of my rope.

[Duppers]

46. Ellen said...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029850434

[Bayard]

38. Arm the elephants!

The tRump boys must be itching to shoot something.

Any way the ban could be enforced on a state basis? Like, whatever state they live in would have to approve of them bringing their "trophy" home?

[Javaman]

39. in other news:

tRump orders the paving over of all national parks.

that is all.

[Paladin]

40. Gotta kill 'em to save 'em, right, "sportsmen"?

Yeah, I bought into that bullshit back in my hunting days, which are just a regrettable memory, now.

[Duppers]

49. The Humane Society is fighting this. Please donate..

I just did...

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Donation2?idb=1817323704&df_id=24064&mfc_pref=T&24064.donation=form1&24064.donation=completed&df_id=24064&idb=144765801&idb=144765801&mfc_pref=T