Joining a growing list of airlines, Delta recently announced that it will no longer ship hunting trophies, including the bodies of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and/or buffalo.
After Cecil the Lion was illegally killed on July 1st by a Walter Palmer, a dentist from America, controversy concerning the ‘sport’ of trophy hunting has become a global conversation. Activists have spoken out against the ‘sport’ of trophy hunters for years, but outrage at Cecil’s abrupt ending has caused more people to become emotionally involved, and, therefore, advocate for change.
In response to the growing controversy regarding the ethics of trophy hunting, Delta Airlines issued the following statement earlier today:
Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight. Prior to this ban, Delta’s strict acceptance policy called for absolute compliance with all government regulations regarding protected species. Delta will also review acceptance policies of other hunting trophies with appropriate government agencies and other organizations supporting legal shipments.
Being a popular international airline, this move will hopefully inspire hunters* to think twice before they travel abroad just to enjoy the thrill of killing wildlife.
*Note: The term ‘hunter’ was used in this article instead of ‘poaching’ because, for many who sign up to track and kill wildlife, their ‘sport’ is legal – such is not the case concerning Walter Palmer and the death of Cecil the Lion, however.
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