Dean Russell MP’s campaign to stop British hunters bringing home ‘trophies’ of endangered animals has won the support of legendary conservationist Jane Goodall and record-breaking explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
A recent cross-party committee report found British trophy hunters have brought home 5,000 trophies of threatened species in recent years. Lions, elephants, hippos and zebras are among the most popular animals. Others shot and brought into the UK include polar bears, giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos and monkeys.
A bill to prohibit trophy hunters’ souvenirs is currently going through Parliament. An opinion poll by Survation found 86% of voters are in favour of the ban, with just 2% against.
Dean Russell MP said: “I spoke in the House this week in favour of the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill. I was pleased to pay tribute to the Member for Crawley who worked hard to ensure that this Bill reached this stage. This will make a huge difference to conservation and sets a signal across the world that when things are wrong, we will stand up.”
Ranulph Fiennes said “I wholeheartedly support Dean Russell MP’s campaign to stop British trophy hunters bringing home the sick souvenirs of animals they kill for fun. Trophy hunting is barbaric and cowardly. It is also sheer madness when so much of the world’s wildlife is under threat.
“The vast majority of voters want this so-called ‘sport’ banished to the history books. We need to listen to what voters are saying and do the right thing for wildlife. That is why I applaud Dean Russell MP’s work on this issue. They are doing a great job in putting this issue on the map and speaking up for their constituents as well as for endangered animals.”
Goodall also paid tribute to MPs campaigning for the bill, adding “I have struggled to get into the mind of someone who can behave like this. We are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers and yet we have these people, so what is motivating them? How can they feel pride?”
ENDS
Notes:
1. Key facts about British trophy hunters are available in this briefing paper from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Banning Trophy Hunting: https://appgtrophyhunting.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/shooting-up-are-britains-trophy-hunting-imports-companies-booming-11-january-2022.pdf?force_download=true
2. Details of opinion polls on trophy hunting are available on the APPG’s website: www.APPGTrophyHunting.org
