Big-game hunters have brought thousands of gruesome 'trophies' including elephant tusks and body parts to UK by exploiting legal loophole

"This is grotesque, uncontrolled slaughter on a massive scale and it's pushing threatened species to the brink of extinction"
Hunters have brought almost two tonnes of elephant tusks to the UK in the last decade
Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Patrick Grafton-Green25 November 2018

Big game hunters have brought thousands of ‘trophies’ including almost two tonnes of elephant tusks to the UK from Africa by exploiting a legal loophole.

Dismembered parts have been taken from 400 of the world's most endangered animals including Nile crocodiles, lions, and rhinos over the last decade, the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting said.

A cross-party group of MPs including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Conservative Zac Goldsmith have backed the group's calls for an urgent ban on importing hunting trophies, which is currently exempt under international rules.

Hunters often pay tens of thousands of pounds to go on safari killing expeditions and are free to bring trophies home due to the "extraordinary loophole" in CITES legislation (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), the campaign said.

In total some 2,500 trophies have been brought home by British hunters over the last ten years, the campaign said, citing CITES figures.

Between 2007 and 2016, there were 922kg of elephant tusks brought in, plus an additional 147 tusks, which typically weigh at least six to eight kilograms each, the group said.

Eduardo Goncalves, from the campaign, said poachers posing as trophy hunters were even taking advantage of the rule to export and sell items like rhino horns.

He said: "This is grotesque, uncontrolled slaughter on a massive scale and it's pushing threatened species to the brink of extinction.

"The government wants to be seen as a global leader on wildlife and animal welfare.

"If it's serious about this, it should commit to an immediate ban on imports."

Conservationist Bill Oddie said the "insane" practice was putting already vulnerable species under even more threat.

He said: "Trophy hunting has always been senseless cruelty. Letting people kill them because they think it's entertaining is just insane.

"When you've got a scattered, dwindling population, the loss of a handful of animals doesn't just cause a ripple effect - it can be like a tsunami wave."

Green MP Caroline Lucas called for the UK to follow the example of Australia, France and the Netherlands, who have banned the practice.

Mr Goncalves said: "UK hunters have killed literally hundreds of elephants, hippos, leopards, zebras and lions - and then brought home their trophies and body parts for show.

"As well as tusks and mounted trophies, UK hunters bring home 'souvenirs' from their elephant-hunting expeditions that include trunks, feet, ears and tails."

Additional reporting by Press Association

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