News

Yesterday, LionAid met with Ministers and officials at the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). We arrived with a clear message, backed by 11 years of tireless campaigning and the support of hundreds of thousands of you.

The outcome, however, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Despite a clear pledge in the Labour Manifesto that "a vote for Labour is a vote for animals," we have learned that the commitment to bring in a Hunting Trophies Import Ban will NOT be included in the forthcoming King’s Speech.

Promises vs. Reality
We’ve been here before. In 2015, the then  UK Environment Minister personally told LionAid a ban on lion trophy imports was coming. It never did. Now, history seems to be repeating itself. While the Government maintains the ban is still "on the agenda," their actions—or lack thereof—tell a different story.
It isn’t just the trophy ban that’s at risk; recent reports suggest commitments to ban fur and foie gras imports have also been sidelined. If this Government truly believes that animal welfare is a priority, why are these "low-hanging fruit" policies being dropped when the public demand for them is so high?

The Maths of Extinction
While politicians debate "timelines" and "legislative windows," the African lion is running out of time.

 Lion Aid's latest estimate   show only around 13,000 lions left in the strongholds of Southern and Eastern Africa, with populations in the West and Central regions facing total collapse.

 Lions cannot wait for another election cycle or another decade of "consultations." Every trophy allowed through UK ports is a green light to an industry that prioritizes "souvenirs" over the survival of a species


We Need Your Voice: The Road to One Million

In 2019, LionAid launched a petition to stop these imports. Today, it stands at over 906,000 signatures.

We are so close to the one million mark. Reaching this milestone is a powerful way to show the Government that they cannot ignore the public's will. They need to hear that we see through the empty promises and we demand the ban be enacted without further delay. 

How you can help today:

Sign and Share: If you haven’t signed this petition yet, please do so now. If you have, share it with five friends. 
Contact your UK MP: Remind them that their manifesto promised to be "on the side of animals." Ask them why the Hunting Trophies Bill has been left out of the King’s Speech.
Spread the Word: Use the hashtag #LionsCantWait and let the Government know that the UK should not be a market for the destruction of wildlife.

The King’s Speech may be missing the Bill, but our movement is not missing its resolve. We will not stop until the UK’s doors are closed to trophy hunting for good.