Walter Palmer may not be facing criminal charges — at least, in America — for killing Cecil the Lion, but perhaps the next hunter will!
That’s because four Democratic senators announced on Friday that they are introducing a bill named after Cecil to to extend preventing importing and exporting animal trophies to include more species that are nearly endangered, like lions.
[ Related: Celebs React To Cecil The Lion’s Death ]
The senators, Bob Menendez (N.J.), Cory Booker (N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) and Ben Cardin (Md.), believe that the Endangered Species Act doesn’t go far enough to prevent importing senseless trophies of threatened species, and are seeking to amend that with the Conserving Ecosystems by Ceasing the Importation of Large (CECIL) Animal Trophies Act!
Senator Menendez said in a statement:
“Cecil’s death was a preventable tragedy that highlights the need to extend the protections of the Endangered Species Act. When we have enough concern about the future of a species to propose it for listing, we should not be killing it for sport.”
Blumenthal added that Cecil’s killing was a “repugnant” act.
The African lion is not currently listed as an endangered species, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been proposing to add it to the list covered by the Act, and this bill would extend to protect animals like Cecil from being imported so callously as trophies.
This sounds like a no-brainer! Hunting for food is one thing. Even hunting overpopulated game for sport might have a case to be made, but trophy skins of a defenseless animal that’s already threatened by human encroachment and poaching?! We’re on to you, Walter Palmer!
[Image via Facebook.]
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