Deadline approaches for List the Lion petition
The Born Free Foundation has issued a reminder that only a few days remain to submit comments to the US government, calling for the African lion to be listed as endangered.
Last year, along with Born Free USA, the charity petitioned the US Fish and Wildlife Service to list the lion as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act, enabling tighter regulations and protection of the species.
It was determined that the petition may be warranted, and scientific data and public comments are currently being reviewed before a final decision is made. The deadline for these comments is 28th January at 3.59am in the UK, and the Born Free Foundation is urging the public to submit their comments on the issue.
Earlier in the month, along with other conservationists, Born Free voiced concerns over trophy hunting and its impact on the rapidly declining numbers of African lions. It was recently estimated that between 15,000 and 32,000 lions remain in the whole of Africa.
According to Born Free 4,139 wild lion specimens were imported into the US for trophy hunting purposes between 1999 and 2008. In the same period, an estimated 362 lions were traded for commercial purposes. The charity continued to say that over that decade lions were imported from at least 12 African countries where the species was unsustainable.
It is thought that listing the lion as endangered will be "an essential step" in preventing the rapid decline of the species. Comments can be submitted to the US government until the deadline on January 28th through the Born Free USA website.
