ENVIRONMENT

Days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a decision to lift the ban on elephant trophy imports from Zimbabwe and Zambia, President Donald Trump has announced he plans to reverse course. (National Geographic)

Use our rich collection of resources to better understand the “Battle for the Elephants.”

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• The Nat Geo article reviews the legal status of elephant “game trophies” from Zimbabwe and Zambia. What are game trophies?
  • Game trophies describe the prepared bodies (or parts of bodies) of an animal killed in a big game hunt. Game trophies may include the taxidermied bodies of animals, the heads or antlers of animals, rugs made from animal skins, or, relevant to the current case, an elephant’s ivory tusks.

• From what countries can hunters import elephant trophies? Take a look at this U.S. Fish & Wildlife document for some help
  • Elephant trophies from Namibia and South Africa are approved.
    • Elephant trophies from Tanzania hunted within the last year are under review.
    • Elephant trophies from Zambia and Zimbabwe hunted within the last year were tentatively approved, but are now under review.

• Why does U.S. law limit imports of elephant game trophies?
  • According to Nat Geo, “Because African elephants are listed as threatened on the Endangered Species Act, the law requires that import of any elephant or elephant parts must somehow contribute to their conservation in the wild.”
    • “Under President Barack Obama, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned the import of elephant trophies from certain countries because the service found that the hunts did not contribute to the survival of the species.”

• Why do supporters of elephant hunting say the practice contributes to elephant conservation? Read what the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has to say about it here.
  • “Trophy hunters argue that their hunting and safari fees, which can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars per trip, go back into the communities that live near the animals, thus providing an incentive for local people to protect wildlife.”
  • Supporters of legal hunting say it decreases demand for poached (illegally obtained) ivory and game trophies. Learn more about the business of elephant poaching with our video study guide here.
  • Dig deeper with this terrific article from National Geographic magazine.

• Why do critics say elephant hunting does not contribute to elephant conservation?
  • The numbers support the criticism. According to Nat Geo, “elephant populations in Zimbabwe have declined 11% since 2005, and as much as 74% in some parts of the country … Zambia has seen smaller declines,” but the elephant population is still declining, not increasing.
  • Critics say local, national, and international oversight of trophy hunting has been lax. “‘Trophy hunting can only be an effective tool for conservation when decisions are transparent, and the necessary resources are available to ensure hunting is properly managed.’ That has not been the case in these recent decisions, they argue.”

• Is there room for compromise between the two sides?
  • Probably. More effective regulation of game hunting may alleviate some concerns offered by hunting critics. Regulation may include local incentives to reduce poaching, consistently enforced legal accountability, and international oversight of imports and exports of game trophies.

• Are other animals impacted by limits (or lifted limits) on game trophies?
  • Yes. Take a look at the permits and processes for importing game trophies here. For example:
    • Lions were declared an endangered species in the U.S. in 2016 to limit the importation of game trophies. (Learn more about that here.) Last month, those limits began to be lifted; learn more about the status of lion game trophies here.
    • Game trophies from the African leopard, southern white rhinoceros, bontebok (an antelope indigenous to southern Africa), and argali (mountain sheep indigenous to Central Asia) require specific permits.
    • Any species listed by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) as threatened or endangered requires specific permissions to hunt.
    • Any species covered by the U.S. Endangered Species Act requires specific permissions to hunt.
    • Animals covered by other U.S. laws, such as the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Wild Bird Conservation Act, or Migratory Bird Treaty Act, require specific permissions.
  • The process of exporting game trophies from the U.S. includes permits for alligators and crocodilians, turtles, fur-bearing animals such as bears, marine mammals, birds, fish, and plant species such as trees and berries.

TEACHERS TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: What the Ban on Elephant Trophies Means

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Import of Hunted Elephants

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Import of Elephants Hunted in Zimbabwe

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Enhancement Finding for African Elephants Taken as Sport-hunted Trophies in Zambia On or After January 1, 2016 and On or Before December 31, 2018

Nat Geo: Battle for the Elephants

Nat Geo: Should We Kill Animals to Save Them?

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Hunting Overseas