It’s now or never.  Don’t let extinction be the norm. Please sign and share this petition to ban trophy hunting of endangered species.  

Recently, three big tusker elephants from Kenya have been hunted and killed in Tanzania. Each elephant was killed by Americans. 

Two hunters also recently killed a big tusker elephant in Botswana who are pictured above.   

Will you be the voice endangered wildlife needs right now? 

To kill an elephant or any wildlife for sport is unconscionable.  These animals are deemed endangered, which means they are at serious risk of becoming extinct, and when we lose them, we all lose.  We lose what they contribute to this planet.  Their herd, pride, pack, and children lose.  The ecosystem loses. 

Continued trophy hunting of elephants and other endangered wildlife undermines many facets of biodiversity:

·      Risk of local extinction of wildlife populations (1). 

·      Population structure is then skewed to subadult males and females which reduces reproductive success (2).

·      Genetic erosion: where there is decreased genetic diversity and loss of resilience (3).

·      Destabilization of wildlife populations through the key loss of individuals who contain the critical social and ecological knowledge needed for survival and reproduction (4).

It is critical to sign and share this petition to become as loud as possible to ban trophy hunting of endangered species.  Will you become a voice for endangered wildlife?

Advocacy isn’t difficult.  It takes little of one’s time to make a difference.  If you live in the United States, your voice becomes even louder when you contact your federal legislator and express you want to see a ban on trophy hunting of endangered species.  Advocacy is this easy. 

*Photo courtesy of Xpose Trophy Hunting

Resources:

1.  Creel, S., M’soka, J., Droge, E., Rosenblatt, E., Becker, M.S. Matandiko, W. and Simpamba, T. (2016).  “Assessing the Sustainability of African lion trophy hunting, with recommendations for policy.” Ecological Applications 26(7): 2347-2357.  https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1377

2.  Milner, J. M., Nilsen, E.B. and Andreassen, H.P.(2007). “Demographic side effects of selective hunting in ungulates and carnivores.” Conservation Biology 21(1): 36-47.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j 1523-1739. 2006.00591.x

3.  Allendorf, F.W., England, P.R., Luikart, G. Ritchie, P.A., and Ryman, N. (2008). “Genetic effects of harvest on wild animal populations.” Trends in ecology & evolution 23(6): 327-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2008.02.008

4.  McComb, K., Shannon, G., Durant, S. M., Sayialel, K., Slotow, R., Poole, J. and Moss, C. (2011). “Leadership in elephants: the adaptive value of age.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 278(1722): 3270-3276. doi:10.1098/rspb.2011.0168