Born Free USA
December 2015
This final decision will list lions in Central and Western Africa as Endangered, and lions in Southern and Eastern Africa as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), with a special rule to ensure that trophies are not imported into the U.S. unless they are from countries with a management plan for lions that has been approved by the U.S. government.
This delay in the USFWS decision has resulted in the deaths of at least 2,232 lions in the past four years—including Cecil the lion, who was killed by an American trophy hunter in July. But... better late than never!
Great news for African lions! Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced its
This increased protection will potentially save the lives of
hundreds of lions every year!
While we celebrate this hard-fought victory, it was four long years in the
making. In March of 2011, Born Free USA, along with partner organizations,
filed a petition with the Department of the Interior to list the African
lion as Endangered under the ESA. This delay in the USFWS decision has
resulted in the deaths of at least 2,232 lions in the past four
years—including Cecil the lion, who was killed by an American trophy hunter
in July. However, the USFWS decision is certainly better late than never!
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