Last week the Trump administration worked to reverse an Obama-era ban placed on the importation of trophies from hunted elephants. In countries like Zambia and Zimbabwe it is still legal for hunters to kill elephants.Animal activists are speaking out across social media. Some are sharing an image of Donald Trump Jr., posing with dead animals during trips to Africa to hunt for big game.The US Fish and Wildlife Service has argued that the hunting fees could aid conservation of endangered animals, according to a BBC report. However, the African elephant population has dropped 30 percent from 2007 to 2014, according to the 2016 Great Elephant Census.Under the Endangered Species Act, there is an exception that allows permits to import animal parts if there is sufficient evidence that the fees generated will actually benefit species conservation.Ellen DeGeneres started and online campaign with the hashtag #BeKindToElephants to raise funds for the conservation efforts of elephants.Elephants have not been removed from the endangered species list. In a list on the World Wildlife Fund website, the Sumatran Elephant is listed as critically endangered along with five other different types of elephants in endangered.In 2014, the ban was created under President Barack Obama due to lack of data on conservation efforts by Zimbabwe, according to the New York Times.The Safari Club International sued the Obama Administration when the ban was passed. The Club is a trophy-hunting organization that lashed out the news media and “anti-hunters” for swaying the Trump Administration to lift the trophy ban.“The fight for freedom to hunt is far from over,” said Paul Babaz, the Club President said in a statement to the Times. “We will be more proactive and not back down.”On November 17, Trump tweeted that the decision was on hold as he continues further review.
The near-total ban on commercial trade of African elephant ivory would remain in place, according to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
