The US listing of two subspecies of lion as endangered is expected to impact the importation of lion trophies and particularly canned lion hunting.

The US Wildlife and Fish Service (USWFS) has listed two subspecies of lion: Panthera leo leo found in central and western Africa and Panthera leo melanochaita in eastern and southern Africa, under the Endangered Species Act.

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The endangered listing means that the importation of Panthera leo leo trophies into the US will be prohibited from January 22, except in certain cases such as when it can be found that the import will enhance the survival of the species. The ruling also prohibits the importation of all Panthera leo melanochaita parts and products from January 22, including live animals and hunting trophies into the US.

The ruling ensures that the importation of both lion subspecies is legally obtained as part of a management programme that benefits the subspecies in the wild, USWFS said in a statement. 

Ian Michler, Co-founder and owner of Invent Africa Safaris, and consultant and lead character in the Blood Lions documentary, says this development will affect the canned-lion hunting industry, especially in South Africa. He explains that the USWFS decision hinders the application of permits to hunt a canned lion in South Africa. However, he says the US will still issue permits to hunt wild lions in Zimbabwe if the hunt proves to have conservational value. He says the hunting concessions around Hwange National Park are all run on the basis of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) principles. Therefore, Michler says applying for a permit to hunt a wild lion in Zimbabwe will be much easier than applying for a permit to hunt a canned lion in South Africa.

Michler says South Africa has three classifications for the lion population: wild lions that are found in large nature reserves; managed lions that are found in smaller, private reserves; and captive lions. He says most lions found outside South Africa are considered to be wild lions.

However, President of the Zimbabwe Tourism Council, Francis Ngwenya, argues that the ruling by the USWFS will have a negative impact on Zimbabwe’s tourism industry and will affect the proceeds raised from organised, legal hunting. “One of the country’s main attractions, as well as in other parts of Africa, is the wildlife experience, which is largely funded from the proceeds that come from organised, legal hunting.”

The lion subspecies have been placed on the Endangered Species Act as USWFS said a decline in the number of populations as well as a decline in the number of lions in each population range had been seen.

USWFS said the population of the subspecies Panthera leo leo had declined by 66% since 1993 and Panthera leo melanochaita had declined by 58% in east Africa in the same period. However, USWFS said Panthera leo melanochaita had increased by 8% in southern Africa since 1993.

To read the full USWFS ruling, click here. 

For more information, a copy of the final ruling and Director’s Order, click here.