Dear Editor,
With the summer holiday season coming to an end, many of us will be familiar with the strict rules on what we can bring home to the UK from a foreign trip. Whether it’s cheese from France or exotic fruits from more far-flung countries, there are a host of restrictions on what travellers can bring through customs.
So it may come as a shock to readers that hunting trophies – made from the body parts of hunted animals like lions, elephants and cheetahs – can still be legally bought into the country simply by being granted a licence by Government.
This is despite repeated promises from the Government to ban hunting trophy imports, and research consistently showing that more than four in five Brits believe hunting trophy imports should be illegal*.
Whether they live in our gardens or on another continent, wild animals belong in the wild, not on display as souvenirs. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to finally bring in a ban on trophy hunting imports so we can make 2026 the last summer this abhorrent practice is allowed.
Readers can help by signing up to support the campaign being run by Humane World for Animals UK, Born Free and Four Paws UK at:
humaneworld.org/nothing-to-declare
David Elliott
Executive Director, Humane World for Animals UK
Dr Mark Jones
Head of Policy, Born Free Foundation
Arthur Thomas
Public Affairs Advisor,Four Paws UK
