December 6, 2016 at 10:38 pm

African Leopards Closer to Protection From Trophy Hunts

Africa’s great spotted cats stalk closer to safeguards: On Tuesday the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that all African leopards may qualify for “endangered” status under the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity and partners petitioned for the leopards’ protection earlier this year. 

In part due to trophy hunting by Americans, leopards risk extinction across their African range. A 1982 legal loophole has let hundreds of their bodies be imported yearly without proper government or scientific scrutiny. 

“Leopards in Asia and northern Africa have long been recognized as endangered — we must extend protection to all leopards across Africa,” said Sarah Uhlemann, director of the Center’s International program.

The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Center for Biological Diversity and The Fund for Animals. Leopards are at risk of extinction across their African and Asian range, having suffered a population decline in sub-Saharan Africa of more than 30 percent in the past 25 years, in part due to unsustainable trophy hunting by Americans. Yet due to a loophole in place since 1982, hundreds of leopard trophies per year have been imported into the United States without proper scrutiny by the federal government or scientific experts. In 2014 hunters imported 311 leopard trophies into the United States.

In making its decision, the agency found that the group’s petition presented substantial scientific evidence that endangered protections may be warranted. The decision kicks off a comprehensive review of the status of the species.

“African leopard numbers are plummeting and as the largest leopard trophy importer in the world, the United States has taken a critical step toward ensuring that our consumption does not threaten the survival of this species,” said Teresa M. Telecky, director of the wildlife department at HSI.

“This is a crucial step forward in saving these imperiled animals,” said Jeff Flocken, IFAW’s North America regional director. “We thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for recognizing that enhanced protections under U.S. law may be warranted.”

“Initiating a status review of the species is long overdue,” said Anna Frostic, senior wildlife attorney for The HSUS, “and it is imperative that FWS expeditiously conclude this process and take action to increase oversight of African leopard trophy imports, as required by law.”

“Leopards in Asia and northern Africa have long been recognized as endangered,” said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “And the United States must extend this same level of protection to all leopards to reverse their disturbing decline.”
Background:

• In sub-Saharan Africa, the leopard population has declined by 30 percent
• in the past 25 years, and the species has lost 48 to 67 percent of its historic range in Africa.
• Between 2005 and 2014, at least 10,191 individual leopards were traded internationally as hunting trophies, with the United States as the top importer (accounting for 45 percent of this trade).
• The number of leopard trophy imports has remained over 300 per year since 1999, despite commitments from the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1982 to only allow “very few” leopard trophies into the country.
• Panthera pardus is listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibits international trade for commercial purposes, but this international agreement does not prohibit trade in hunting trophies.
• Competition for records and prizes, such as Safari Club International’s “Grand Slam Cats of the World” and others, drive wealthy trophy hunters to seek out the world’s rarest animals and encourage trophy hunting at a time when the long-held belief that such killing aided conservation efforts is crumbling under increasing evidence that ecotourism boosts more economies than hunting expeditions.The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
• The Humane Society of the United States is the most effectiveanimal protection organization, as rated by our peers. For more than 60 years, we have celebrated the protection of all animals and confronted all forms of cruelty. We and our affiliates are the nation’s largest provider of  hands-on services for animals, caring for more than 150,000 animals each year, and we prevent cruelty to millions more through our advocacy campaigns. Read more about our more than 60 years of transformational change for animals and people.
• HumanSocieties.org.Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.
• Hope this will be a step in the right direction to save the leopards of the world and if you are interested in protecting wildlife like the above organisations you can do your bit by going to their website and signing  the petition to protect leopards. and by sharing this page to your friends and spread the word. We owe it to wildlife and our future generations.