For the first time since lions were protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Trump administration has approved a trophy-import permit for a threatened lion killed in Tanzania. Around 80% of trophy hunters worldwide are American, which means our country should be leading the fight against big game hunters.

According to the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Network, African lions have disappeared from 94 percent of their historic range, and populations have halved, to fewer than 25,000 since the early 1990s. Tanzania is home to 40 percent of Africa’s lions and is known for its incredible conservations and thriving wildlife. With that being said, Tanzania continues to stir controversy over its imports of big game animals to the United States. The Trump administration's decision to overturn the ban on trophy imports has upset many wildlife conservationists and East African travels who have experienced Tanzania’s amazing wildlife first hand.

The first time I traveled to Tanzania I fell in love with the country and its amazing wildlife. These animals deserve to be protected and I want to join the fight to ban the import of trophy-hunted lions to the U.S. from Tanzania.