The DoubleTree by Hilton, Orlando Airport, is set to host an African trophy hunting expo, which will promote the cruel and senseless slaughter of beautiful animals on hunting safaris. Organized by African Hunting Gazette and African Events Canada, the expo will connect American hunters with African hunting safari outfitters.
The death of Cecil the Lion last summer exposed the gruesome "sport" of trophy hunting and sparked global outrage. It is shocking that only a few months later, The DoubleTree would book an expo celebrating the slaying of countless animals and wild sentient beings like Cecil.

On African hunting safaris, hunters pay for the chance to gun down exotic animals, including elephants, rhinos, hippos, leopards, cheetahs, lions, giraffes, and zebras. Trophy hunters often keep the heads and other body parts of their kills to mount as perverse proof of their hunting prowess.

Many animals shot for trophies in Africa are listed by CITES (https://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.php) as endangered or threatened due to poaching, habitat loss, and hunting, yet international law still allows hunters to brutally kill countless endangered and threatened animals every year. Their body parts are often shipped home to be mounted and displayed by hunters.

In response, just this past week, the Obama administration has decided to place lions in Africa under the protection of the Endangered Species Act, an action that will set a higher bar for hunters who want to bring lion trophies into the United States.

Additionally, companies around the world are stepping up to the plate and refusing to play any role in the cruel trophy hunting industry, including international airlines that refuse to transport animal trophies out of Africa. The corporations are of the same caliber as Hilton Worldwide and include: Delta Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air France, KLM, and Quantas.

As knowledge of African trophy hunting expos across Canada and the USA have come to the attention of Canadians and Americans, citizens have been stepping up and voicing their disapproval of the promotion of senseless slaughter, resulting in the cancellation of the expos in both Toronto and Saskatoon. A Worldwide Rally For Cecil is set to take place on February 6, in which numerous cities across the globe will take a stand against trophy hunting and educate the people in their communities about this reprehensible practice.

The beautiful and majestic animals of Africa need our help before it's too late. Please ask The DoubleTree by Hilton, Orlando Airport to cancel the expo and help protect African animals!