“Effective immediately, Delta will officially ban shipment of all lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and buffalo trophies worldwide as freight”, the Delta statement said.
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Delta Air Lines Inc. on Monday joined several other major airlines in banning hunting trophies from its planes.
Prior to the announcement, the Atlanta-based Delta said its policy called for “absolute compliance with all government regulations regarding protected species”.
A roiling debate over species conservation has followed the killing in Zimbabwe of 13-year-old Cecil the lion by Minneapolis dentist and trophy hunter Walter Palmer, as well as a second lion killing by an American dentist, Jan Seski of Pittsburgh. This weekend, Zimbabwe wildlife authorities suspended hunting of lions, leopards and elephants in parts of the country near the park after conflicting reports about whether another lion, possibly Cecil’s brother, had been killed by poachers. At the time, a few worldwide carriers prohibited such cargo. “Delta has set a great example, and no airline should provide a get-away vehicle for the theft of Africa’s wildlife by these killers”.
“The attraction for trophy hunters is being able to display the animal they butchered when they get home”, the website says its petition.
South African Airways last month lifted a temporary embargo on transporting legally acquired hunting trophies of lions, elephants, rhinoceros and tigers.
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Mashable also reached out to Southwest, United, and British Airways – which is facing a petition of its own to ban the shipment of trophies and has accumulated almost 20,000 signatures.
